Amateur photographers across Iowa are being asked to snap pictures of their home state to send to Iowa’s sister state of Yamanashi, Japan. Todd Arai is helping organize the photo exhibit that’ll be displayed in Japan next year.Arai is working with the sister states program in Des Moines through the Iowa Department of Economic Development. He says Iowa is such a diverse land, people shouldn’t have any problem finding beautiful things to photograph — from cornfields to livestock to big city life.The Iowa exhibit will be displayed at the Yamanashi Arts Festival in 2002 and other venues. Arai says the Japanese might find it interesting to see some of Iowa’s particularly ethic communities, like Pella, Dubuque, Orange City, the Amana Colonies and Elk Horn.The photographs can be color or black and white and should relate to the photographer’s home region. For more information, email Arai at “[email protected]” or call (515) 242-4724.

Radio Iowa