For three years, Koji Mizutani has been taking photographs of the smiling faces, "the worldwide expression that makes everybody happy, overcoming the differences in language or culture." What he wants to express is very simple "let's make the world happier little by little by smiling!!" In this age of the century when discouraging news such as economic doom, atrocious crime, national war etc., is talked about almost everyday, Mizutani's photographs are processed into huge posters, and are displayed during exhibitions under the name of "Merry Project." "Merry" means happy and joyful. When Mizutani is taking photographs, he always has a smile on his face. He says to the girls, "now, smile!!" He holds his two compact cameras in his hands. "I click the shutter of my first camera, then a tense, artificial smile disappears from the girl's face and the relaxed, natural smile appears in turn. Then in no time I press the shutter of my second camera. I want that natural smile!" He doesn't want artificial smiles. All he wants are your "merry" smiles from the bottom of your heart, a snapshot of your pure feelings. Mizutani has a technique of acting as a mirror that reflects the model herself. Merry Project has taken place in six cities around the world, but of all, Kobe has become especially meaningful to him. In September 2001, "Merry in Kobe" took place as a part of a revival commemoration enterprise. Mizutani took photographs of approximately 500 women in Kobe a city where the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake hit seven years ago killing more than 6000 people. "I felt the power I have never seen" on the faces of the Kobe citizens who were at one time sunk in the depths of despair which they overcame at last. "At the same time, I was surprised that Kobe has regained energy to the extent that the soccer World Cup can be held in the city. I want people around the world to know this city and people!!" The new "Merry Project" went into action in Kobe in the spring of 2002, when World Cup Kobe Promotion Committee offered Mizutani one project. "I want to welcome the visitors of soccer World Cup in Kobe with the posters of smiling faces!"

Mizutani is the leading art director on the scene of the graphic design, having won many awards such as the gold medal at the 15th International Poster Biennale in Warsaw, the gold medal at the 9th New York ADC International Exhibition, award winner at the 10th Colorado International Invitational Poster Exhibition, etc. He has created many advertising posters of famous corporations like All Nippon Airlines and Suntory. "Advertisement made money in the 80's when Japanese economy was at its golden age. I sometimes worked furiously without taking any sleeps." However, with the collapse of the economy during the "bubble" era, many enterprises started to havefinancial difficulties. That also influenced the advertising world. At the same time, Mizutani's pent-up discontent exploded. "I realized something in my life was missing," he confesses. Mizutani wanted to make posters with a hidden message that can give an impact to the society, without trying to gain an immediate profit or caring about funds. And that's when he met "Merry." In the spring of 1999, he snapped three girls on a bus journey in the United States. He couldn't stop taking photographs of these three girls who smiled so innocently. "I felt their positive will and happiness from their natural expressions. This is the ultimate happiness, I realized," he recalls. After half a year of planning and designing, 30 photographs were chosen from the 200 photographs that he took on the bus, and the photograph collection "Merry" was published. It was the end of the century, but he wanted people to lead a more positive life and be more optimistic about the up-coming century. This is the answer that Mizutani has finally found after thinking what he could do.

The Merry project started to move after the publication of this photograph collection "Merry." In November 1999, Mizutani held the first exhibition at the Mori Hanae Open Gallery in Tokyo. In Harajuku and Ikebukuro, Tokyo, he introduced one-minute "Merry" images that were projected on the huge screen on the building wall to the people who spent time in the concrete jungle of the city. In January 2000, "Merry at Laforet 2000" was held at Laforet Museum Harajuku in Tokyo. "I don't have to stick with the book as the only means to introduce Merry's enjoyment and greatness to the people," he thought. Thus, this time, Mizutani went out to the city of young people and processed smiles of young girls into big posters. Together with the snaps that he took on the bus during his trip in the United States, these posters filled the halls. Moreover, during the exhibition, he had a digital camera and a big printer with him and made original posters at the site. He wanted visitors also to participate in the "Merry" project. Each model wrote her feeling expressed through her smile, or what Merry meant to her. Approximately 8000 people were involved during the 12 days. In May 2000, "Merry at New York" was held in New York City. The project traveled overseas. Mizutani thought, "a smile overcame the difference in language or culture!!" Merry changes its form day by day. In May 2001, both "Merry-London Life" in Tokyo and "Tokyo Life" in London were simultaneously held as a commemoration of 100th after the Anglo-Japanese Alliance conclusion. London and Tokyo were connected with the Internet and Merry messages sent from the personal computer or mobile phone were projected on the screen in both places in real time. A magazine published in London analyzed Merry as "smart art heading towards tomorrow with a smile on its face, and just a hint of a knowing wink."

Mizutani has always wanted to have a Merry exhibition in Kobe because he has helped Kobe revive from the earthquake that hit the area in 1995, from the artistic side, such as making posters or charity T-shirts. That's when he got to know the existence of the revival commemoration enterprise named "Kobe the 21st Century." He agreed with its idea of expressing gratitude to people who helped Kobe revive from the earthquake, and proposed one project to the city. And the project came true in the summer of 2001 and "Merry in KOBE 2001" was held. The photographs were taken in the sunflower field on the Port Island, which is the symbol of revival of Kobe. 8-month-old baby to the 97-year-old lady showed their white teeth with lively expressions under sweltering heat. Merry. But something's different. Mizutani talked to each model and realized her thought hidden in her smile. There are people who lost their family member or friend, or who lost their home. everybody is yet to heal. People had to move on no matter how sad they were. And 7 years had passed. "Merry in KOBE 2001" was held for two weeks from September 13th, at Ogasta Plaza in Harborland, Kobe, etc. Many citizens as well as many tourists visited the place, and stopped in front of the posters filled with joy, and smiled. Messages on the posters said, "I love Dad!!" "I want to make everybody happy," and, "I LOVE KOBE!!"
In 2002, Kobe was chosen as the host city for the soccer World Cup. Preparations for the World Cup, to welcome the players and supporters from all over the world to Kobe and Kobe Wing Stadium are progressing steadily. However, there is a lack of liveliness at the citizens' level, because negative images precede. "I'm not interested in soccer." "What if hooligans come to the city?" There was less than half a year left to the World Cup by the end of 2001. Then World Cup Kobe Promotion Committee came up with one idea. "That exhibition of the smiles back in September, that's it!! World Cup is the world's biggest sports festival. This is the chance to let people around the world know about Kobe. We can express through smiling faces the feeling of gratitude to the support and the energy of the city that goes to revival. Then people in Kobe will get more interested in the festival," they thought. Mizutani was told about the new project in Kobe. He started taking photographs in the beginning of 2002. Almost every weekend he came to Kobe from Tokyo, and collected over 300 smiles, not only at the stadium but also at wine cellars in Nada and the redevelopment construction site in Nagata. And in the end of March, Merry in Kobe reappeared in the underground square just south of JR Kobe station. Boys on soccer team, a city bus driver, and a foreigner in ethnic clothes call to the citizens and visitors. "I'm waiting with a smile!!" "WELCOME TO KOBE!!" Mizutani came to the exhibition on the weekend and enjoyed meeting the models again. "This way, I gain new Merry from them," he says. By May, he is going to collect 500 smiling faces and posters will be exhibited in the main stations of Kobe. At the redevelopment construction site in the south of JR Shin-Nagata station, a temporary enclosure is exhibited with 22 enlarged poster.
Locals welcome those smiles because those smiles make the town happier and brighter. Mizutani believes that people can communicate through smiles, even without words. "Everybody, smile and be merry!!" Then Mizutani goes to the city again with his two cameras, searching for new Merry.