Description:

10 Hours is a deeply personal and culturally resonant project that explores the
emotional complexities of growing up between cultures. As a first-generation immigrant
from Japan living in New Zealand, I often felt unbalanced between two worlds, never
fully belonging to either. The pressure to assimilate led me to suppress my heritage,
only to later grapple with feelings of disconnection from my roots.
This project emerged from the question, “Am I Japanese enough, or am I
whitewashed?” The question acts as a reflection of the internal conflict many
third-culture individuals experience. 10 Hours unpacks themes of assimilation, language
loss, identity fragmentation, and reconnection. It presents a dual narrative: a personal
story told through experimental design in Distance, Reflection & Reconnection, and a
collection of voices from other Japanese Kiwis in Lived Experiences, an interview-based
publication. Together, these parts create a dynamic dialogue that reveals the shared
emotional terrain of cultural duality.
The design integrates traditional Japanese bookbinding techniques such as Fukurotoji
and Musubitoji, connecting cultural craft with contemporary storytelling.
Semi-transparent tracing paper overlays, distorted typography, and intentional language
switching between English and Japanese express the fractured yet fluid nature of
identity. Red, blue, and black visually track the emotional arc of reconnection, tension,
and belonging.
What elevates this project is its ability to transform personal narrative into collective
resonance. By combining tactile craft with digital aesthetics, and introspection with
communal voices, 10 Hours offers a space of empathy, dialogue, and visibility for
third-culture individuals. It invites audiences to reflect on their cultural narratives and
contributes to broader conversations about identity, inclusion, and diversity in New
Zealand and beyond.