The old saying is, “Too many cooks spoil the broth,” but as I discovered with JAGS, many cooks can create an interesting, vibrant and spicy stew! Of course, things didn’t always go to plan with this year’s exhibition: combining a few spanners in the works with a committee full of amazing ideas and opinions, and it's only natural you have a few heated discussions, which, at a fundamental level, were caused simply because everyone wanted the exhibition to be amazing. Of course it was, but no one can forget the blood, sweat and tears that went into making JAGS 2005 happen.

JAGS 2005 started last November when a group of people interested in art got together to continue the legacy that is JAGS; the exhibition is now in its fourth year. Looking back I can see the variety of creative influences that were bought to the table that night, but at the time, I had no idea how they would pan out. We all had very different ideas about art and about Changing Perspectives, but we were all maybe too polite to say too much about it. Over the next few months we threw ideas around and came up with some grand plans for JAGS 2005. We were going to do lots of new things this year:h o l d t h e exhibition in the largest of the Shimane Art Museum's public galleries, tour the exhibition down to Hamada in the western end of Shimane, and have an opening c e r e m o n y extravaganza. At times these new things seemed a challenge bigger than we could overcome, each presenting its own set of problems. But through lively discussion and some persuasive negotiation we pulled through to create a fantastic art exhibition that showed the people of Shimane how we, as non- Japanese, feel about Japan.

The opening reception certainly started the exhibition with a bang as members of the Mitoya Taiko Group, consisting of Japanese members and assistant English language teachers performed two pieces. The drumming brought a great sense of energy to the gallery − so much so that at times we were worried about artwork falling off the walls!

I think my involvement in JAGS and living in Japan has altered my view beyond anything I could have imagined.

Thankfully it didn't and judging by the cheers of our guests, everyone really enjoyed their performance. A big thank you to the team and their teacher, Kageyama-sensei, for making the trip to Matsue. After the drums had hailed the start of the exhibition and everyone had said what they had to say, we finished the formal proceedings with a tape-cut. I was very excited about being able to wear white cotton gloves at this point! Following the tape cut, all guests moved to the gallery restaurant for food and drinks and to share what they thought of the opening and the exhibition. Finally, the night concluded with an energetic dance performance by the Hikawa Jazz Dance Group. Like the Taiko, the Jazz dance team involved both Japanese and non-Japanese performers, and echoed a spirit of international exchange that was present in many of the pieces in the gallery.

Those involved in the creation of Changing Perspectives Exhibition each had their own special moment, that certain second they saw or heard something that made all their efforts worthwhile. For me, there were three moments that stand out. The first was at the opening ceremony when I was giving my speech and I looked around and saw all the people who had come to support us. The second was hearing that people had specifically come to see the exhibition after reading about it in the newspaper, or seeing it on the television−people were genuinely interested! And the third was on the last day of the exhibition when the vice-principal of the school where I work came to see the gallery. I had done so much work on JAGS at school that I thought all my teachers would stay away in droves as a kind of boycott, so the enthusiasm and interest shown by my viceprincipal as he wandered around the gallery for almost an hour came as a great relief.

Over the last week or so I have been reflecting over the previous 12 months and just how much has happened. You see, this time last year I had no idea I was even coming to Japan, and Shimane just didn’t exist in my world. In June 2004 I was working on the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, trying to write my Honours Thesis and trying to decide what to do with the rest of my life, since I had been put on the alternate list for the JET Program. But here I am in June 2005, living and working in Matsue, Shimane, a nine-hour plane ride from home.

In saying all this I wonder whose perspective has been changed the most. I think the JAGS 2005 Changing Perspectives exhibition certainly helped foster international relations within Shimane, but I think my involvement in JAGS and living in Japan has altered my view beyond anything I could have imagined. The one thing I now know for certain is that although my presence in Japan will have some small effect in some way, being in Japan has changed my perspective for life.

Photography by Ben Logsdon