"Haaaaai, Smile!"
- Merry smiles from the South American children -

"Haaai, smile!"
When I take Merry photos of people I always find myself saying this.
It just naturally comes out of my mouth, and makes people laugh.
I like when they smile.
Smile is catching. It spreads from a person to another.
It can make you very happy to share smile with someone else.

The Merry Pictures catch the smiles of people.
Some are quietly smiling, some are laughing with big opened mouth.
The Merry pictures makes the parade of the shining smiles.

This time's Merry Column　talks about the Merry smiles in South America.

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL

I'd been planning for a long time, to visit Rio De Janeiro and meet Merry smiles there in Christmas!
The Christmas here was so different from the one in Japan.
It was mid-summer, and that mede me feel a bit strange!
"Santa Clause is coming to town, SURFING!"

There also was a severe reality. The beach was divided into two - one for white people, and another for black people.
The rich caucasian people were at Copacabana and Ipanema beach.
The poor black people were playing at RAMOS, a big artificial pool.
For some reason, people's Merry smiles were more powerful and merrier at the artificial beach.
There, brazilian samba was playing, and they treated me with a nice lunch.
"Welcome! Thank you for coming all the way here from Japan. This town is safe, so relax and enjoy interviewing!"

As usual, I kept saying "Haaai, smile!"
We could meet more than a hundred Merry children and gather their Merry smiles.
Ironically, it was the Merriest place in Rio Dee Janiro.

IN BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA

They told us that the Merriest place here now is Parque De La Costa (Waterfront Park), and we headed there on a pretty little train.
I was worried that they might make us to pay money everywhere including the tax at the immigration for our massive amount of films because I knew the economic situation in Argentina was severe.

However, it was totally different from what I expected.

In the park's entrance, I found a poster.
It was for a campaign to provide milk to poor babies.
On the day we visited the park, the park was doing the campaign which they take off half the price for the visitors who contributed one litter of the specified milk (which was two months worth) to the babies. The park would contribute to the poor babies the triple amount of the milk the visitors brought in, and the milk trader would give the same amount to the babies.

I was really impressed with this Merry idea or children. I've never heard of one Japanese park that planned this kind of campaign.
I really hope Toshimaen would do the same.
Every amusement parks in Japan are so focused on their profits. In consequence, the roller coaster accident happened.

It made me Merry already at the entrance. I bought the milk too and entered the park.
We interviewed with about eighty people and gathered their smiles here.
At the end of the Merry gathering of the day, a girl, who had trouble with one of her legs came towards us with her friend's help.
I instantly felt, "the Merriest smile!"

As I explained about what we do to her, her smile shined more brightly and purely.
I quickly photographed her beautiful smile.
She was standing on one leg, and was truly Merry.
Her Merry message was "Happiness is not to show white teeth, but to smile　from the soul."
This message of the word "soul" is the same as the "heart" of the Merry Project, and is the most important thing for us.
I strongly felt her life would be very Merry and happy.
I'll never forget her smile!

Meeting with the Merry children in Rio De Janeiro and Buenos Aires, I found that the bitterer legacy the town or persons have, their smiles are more beautiful, pure and Merrier, also in South America.
Check out the places where we met these Merry children South America, on MERRY U!

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Here is my favorite poem "SMILE."

"SMILE"
What makes the life the most rewarding
The cheapest and most effective
Is a joyous smile.

Sublime and affectionate
Full of value and goodness
Worths a million dollars
And actually doesn't cost a cent.

Now wait till the next Merry Column!

MERRY TOPICS

1) Two Merry guys from Sudan and Saudi Arabia visited our studio the other day. They let us record their voices for MERRY CD, and promised to join MERRY U!

2) The exhibition of the works of the past winners of JAGDA (Japan Graphic Designers Association)'s　new face award was held in the new JAGDA showroom in Tokyo Midtown. A twenty-three years old work of ours was exhibited!

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