Quoted from “Kaze no Tabijin” vol.31 (April 2008 issue)

Since opening a small gallery in a back alley in Yotsuya in January 2006.、I decided to make holding regular solo exhibitions there the center of my artistic activities.。Each work to be exhibited will be photographed.。For this purpose, I picked up the old twin-lens reflex camera I had been using for the first time in a while.。Until then, I had been shooting my works with a huge 8 x 10 inch camera.、He was fed up with the pace of production, which showed no signs of progressing.。For me at that time, that act was also a return to the origin、It was a new challenge。
　The shooting location is in Tokyo、Mainly near Shinjuku。The reason is very simple.。The fact that it is close to my own gallery that I go to almost every day、It is home to Japan's largest terminal station, used by 3 million people a day.。For me, I wanted to take portrait photos.、That alone was a reason to shoot in this city.。
Since then, I have been going out to the city every time I find time.、Find someone you're interested in and ask them to take a photo with you.。Those days have begun。Finding the person to photograph among the people passing by on the street was like counting sand.。However, it is not something as grand as rowing into an unknown ocean.、A simple act of wandering around in an extremely limited area.。It's not like we have exciting encounters every day.。But anyway, I have no choice but to keep walking。Let alone encounter、I decided to believe that thoughts and ideas only follow my two walking legs.。Now that I think about it, I started out focusing too much on the act of ``photographing people.''。

"Even if I walk around all day, I can't meet、Contrary to my thoughts, such days continued endlessly。
"I'm tired from walking and my legs are sore."。I was still walking、Because I was afraid that my thoughts would stop the moment I stopped walking.。lost sight of its original purpose、I was trudging along just to get rid of my anxiety.。Dates, meals, karaoke, etc.、I feel completely alone as I walk with my head drooping in the crowd of people moving forward with their destination in high spirits.。No productivity, no consumption behavior。When he finally ends up sitting on the street, he looks just like a homeless person.。I lost the will to stand up and let out a deep sigh.。“If I photograph 10 people a day,、3650 people in one year! ” That kind of incomprehensible enthusiasm is nothing more than nonsense.。
After looking down for a while, I looked up and、What caught my eye was the spectacular setting sun illuminating the buildings in Kabukicho.。Riding the updraft that blows in the valley between the buildings、A fluttering white plastic bag。Its thin and small existence is fantasy and reality、It looked like incense smoke moving freely between the other world and this world.。Keep an eye on where the plastic bag goes、The stunned look was similar to prayer。
The sunset I saw somewhere。10about a year ago、20It reminded me of the sunset in Tibet where I spent a long time。

The foot of the sacred Mount Kailash、A small village called Thalchen, a base for pilgrimage。As the end of this trip、I was planning to go around Mt. Kailash's Korla (circular pilgrimage route) tomorrow.、I was drinking chang (Tibetan muddy liquor) with Tibetan men at a shack-style pilgrim's inn.。Devout Buddhists are said to complete 108 circuits of the 42km pilgrimage route over the course of their lives.。Men who have already finished weeks of korra、The joy of pilgrimage and physical fatigue coexisted in that expression.。The wish of devotion to Buddha and the awe of nature、The steam from the dinner prepared by the women and the smoke from cow dung fuel filled the small room.。
While eating thukpa (Tibetan udon) made by women,、I discovered a cold breeze and radial light shining through the gap in the door.。This is exactly what "a halo shines" means.。Thukpa that was poured on you, put it away too.、I went outside to find out what the light was.。It tears apart the clouds、It was a powerful sunset thundering from the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas.。The light dyes the remaining snow on the meadow orange.、Diffuse reflection on the water surface of the wetland、Created incredible beauty。I was just looking at the dynamic scenery that changes every moment from atop a small hill.。
If there is such a thing as heaven、I thought it must be a place like this.。
And what made that scene decisive was、It was the appearance of people repeating their daily activities without paying attention to the setting sun.。
Men playing balls at an open-air billiard hall。
With that sunset on my back、A long shadow cast by a mother and child returning from fetching water。
Living in this scene every day、Those who do not praise this sight、It was as if his mind and body contained this scene and were emitting light of their own.。They are indifferent to this scene、Because of my indifference, I live my life without being flattered by this scene.。In my eyes as a traveler、Instead, it seemed like he was proud.。

A white plastic bag flew up in the valley between the buildings in Kabukicho.、Eventually it becomes a small dot and disappears into the sunset。
I came back to my senses and sat down on the street, pushing forward with my thoughts.。I thought that scene was beautiful in his land, and now I want to see it here.。Without glorifying the urban landscape、However, I do not mean to degrade it.、But I'm definitely alive here、I instinctively wanted to photograph the embodiment of urban life.。
Butts on the street、messy cardboard、Sometimes like a clown、sometimes like an artist、I wanted to photograph “them” who live in this messy and chaotic city.。I can only see a vague outline, though.、I have no choice but to move forward relying on that.。The act of taking photos in a city、It sublimated as a journey into my own body, which also lives in the city.。
And even now, I continue to walk on the streets of Shinjuku and take photos.。

the other day、For shooting in rural areas、I left Tokyo for about a week.。The shooting was under a hectic schedule.、I don't feel like traveling at all。have a clear purpose and result of action、Dense yet somehow empty, time passes in the blink of an eye。There's no need for the same kind of conflict here when filming in Shinjuku.。After the shooting、Purchase canned Chu-Hi at a convenience store、Drinking alone in a hotel room。I tried to relax like I was at home in Tokyo.、For some reason, my heart was restless and restless.。
The return flight was a night flight.。As soon as I took off and entered stable flight, I fell into a deep sleep from the fatigue of shooting.。The next time I woke up, there was an announcement to fasten your seatbelts.。Looks like he was asleep for a while。The light in the guest room was on, but、consciousness is half dream。I pressed my forehead against the window and stared blankly at my half-asleep Manako.。The aircraft seemed to be slowly lowering its altitude, but it was pitch black outside the window.、I can't decide which direction I'm going in。I tried to open my eyes and stare, trying to find something in the darkness, but it was no use.。The moment I gave up and changed my position to take another nap.、The aircraft passed through the cloud layer。What suddenly caught my eyes, which were not adapted to light, was、It was a vast surface of the earth that glowed pure white.。The light emerging from the factory operations along the coast、Transferring to the expressway while shining light on the street corner、Through the tail lights of cars in traffic jams、It looked like they were gathering around the skyscrapers in the city center.。At that time, Tokyo as seen from the sky contained perfect order within the chaos.。And I thought that figure was really beautiful.。
If there is such a thing as heaven、This may actually be the place。

2007November有元伸也