Today Is the Day Photo and Video Posts Are Allowed!

At Burning Japan 2021, when you entered we explained a request about taking photos and videos and about sharing them on social media, and every participant acknowledged it. Within that, we had said "do not upload photos or videos during the event" and "the day posts are allowed is Sunday, August 1," so on social media that an unspecified number of people can see, sharing of images and the like starts today.

Burning Man is not a festival. Burning Japan is not a festival either. It is certainly a place as enjoyable as a festival, but in many ways it fits better to say we are running a social experiment. If you ask what kind, one answer is "to offer a safe space for every kind of expressive activity."

Whether it is your first time, whether it is rough, or whether you are doing something unlike your usual self, new expression starts when the person in front of you accepts it. Wanting to take a photo when you see something interesting is natural. But if it is treated as ordinary to do that without thinking of the other person's feelings, or to publish it to the outside world before that person says it is all right, the hurdle to trying something new rises sharply. At least while you are at Burning Japan, we want you to enjoy yourself fully, without that worry.

Here, let's look back at what we were careful about inside the venue.

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The day photo and video posts on social media are allowed is Sunday, August 1
We have long declined live video from the Burning Japan venue, and in 2021 we also declined posts of photos and videos on social media during the event. Cell phones worked everywhere at this year's venue, but chasing the reactions to photos and videos you posted on social media is not something you can really do. While you are at the venue, don't you want to focus on what is in front of you, more than on the world inside your phone? And in the time until the next weekend, how about choosing your photos and videos carefully, and then posting? (This does not apply to text-only posts.)

1. If the wristband is red, that means "no photos, no social media"
At entry we handed out wristbands that are red on one side and black on the other. The red side says "NO PHOTO," which means "no photographs, and do not post this on social media." You wear the red side when you do not want to be photographed, or do not want to be photographed right now. Someone who sees it knows, without having to ask, that photos are declined. Also, even if you missed the chance to ask, if a red band is in the picture, please do not post it on social media.

2. Always speak to the person before you take a photo
Just ask first: "Is it okay if I take a photo?" Even a well-known artist controls when and how they want to be photographed. A beginner, or an artist whose name is not known, has that same choice.

3. Sharing in #media on Discord is welcome
Participants exchange photos in the #photo-sharing category on Discord. There is also a shared album, so please look freely.

4. If you are skilled, register as media at the GATE!
We asked skilled people — those who like taking photos, are good at it, or want to offer it as a gift — to register as media, and seven people registered. They filled out a registration form at the GATE, checked the photography guidelines, and then we gave them an armband. Even with an armband, you still need to speak to the person and take the photo only when the other person clearly wants it, but requests such as "I want to shoot" and "I want to be photographed" go more smoothly. If there is a request from outside for photos after the event, the organizers will ask about allowing that use.

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Lately some events ban photography, or put a sticker over the smartphone lens at entry. But if photography is banned outright, that also takes away the chance for participants to meet and make photo and video work together. We think there must be a more livable place somewhere between a daily life where everything is published immediately and a total ban on photography, so this time we asked you to join an experiment in this form. Thank you all for cooperating! We hope we can keep searching together for a shape that feels right as we continue to take part in Burning Japan and keep expressing ourselves.

photo by Samba machine