Mariko Tagashira was born in Onomichi, Hiroshima. Since the start of her career in 2005, she has created photography works for Japan Post, Suntory and numerous industrial advertisements, promotional projects of universities, and portraits of politicians, artists and business executives.
In March 2011 after the Great East Japan Earthquake, she visited the affected areas and was moved by the people who lived strongly despite the difficult circumstances. Since then she pursues to visualise people’s energy upon facing difficulties through her work. Mariko was awarded the »SDGs Iwasa Prize« for her achievement in Tokyo 2022.
Mariko Tagashira devised the inclusive photo exhibition »Visible ›An die Freude‹«. Impressed by the performance of the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra led by Gustavo Dudamel who made their first visit to Japan in 2008, she became interested in El Sistema, a social movement of music that started in Venezuela. Already in 2017, she had met the White Hands Chorus Nippon, that is part of the El Sistema educational programme and was launched by soprano Erika Colon in Japan. Mariko began working on the production of »Visible ›An die Freude‹« inspired by her involvement with children with hearing and visual impairments.