If you were out and about in Ginza today, you probably found yourself swept along by the enthusiastic crowds gathered for the Olympics parade. Rio was an undisputed success for the Japanese Olympic team, which finished 6th in the medal table this year, leading the JOC to boldly promise a podium finish on home turf in 2020. But for Leslie Kee, one of Asia’s top photographers, success isn't just measured in medals.
Joining forces with NHK, the national broadcasting organisation, the talented snapper has launched a new project entitled '2020'. It features familiar faces – celebrities, athletes and the photographer himself – in portraits that depict each participant holding up a personal, handwritten message for 2020, revealing their hopes and ambitions. The project will be covered in a special NHK programme on Tokyo 2020, which is set to be broadcast on October 10.
At a press conference on Monday, Kee said 'I don’t want the Olympics to be an event only for the athletes and their countries but for everyone, even if they don’t have anything to do with it.' Hence, in his project, he asks participants to write down their personal dreams and goals – not necessarily sports-related ones – for 2020.
To promote the undertaking, Kee chose to start by shooting celebrities, completing 170 portraits by the end of August. On October 9 and 10, when NHK will be holding a sports event called N Spo at its broadcasting centre in Shibuya, he looks forward to photographing regular folk for a change.
Kee makes clear that his project – much like the Olympics as a whole – is not just about Japan, and he seeks to extend his all-embracing hug abroad in the four years leading up to the Games: 'I'm curious to see if people overseas have similar messages and ideas for 2020, so I'll start by introducing the project in my home country of Singapore.'
In keeping with Kee's inclusive message, anyone can take part in '2020': you can download instructions from the project's website and submit your own portrait.
For more information and details on how take part (in Japanese), click here.