I began to concentrate on photographing Mt. Fuji in the spring of 2017 after a surprising visit to gogoume (五合目) , the 5th station of the route to the summit of Mt. Fuji. When I arrived at the bus stop, I was shocked by all the foreign tourists. Along the way, the trail was very crowded. It took us many hours to reach gogoume. When we finally arrived, we had to wait a long time for the bathrooms that were busy from so many people. I felt bad for all these foreign tourists who wanted to see Mt. Fuji yet encountered such difficult, crowded conditions during their visit. So I reflected on what I could do. I decided to take pictures of Mt. Fuji from as many points of view as possible for tourists to find their Mt. Fuji in my photos, and thus, be able to enjoy their time visiting Japan.
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Frame 02.
Photographing Mt. Fuji has become an important part of my life. In 2018, I had a serious diagnosis and underwent a difficult operation. This experience motivated me to do something useful with my life. I photograph Mt. Fuji once a month. I travel for a few days each time. Although this is my solo project, I often travel with my wife and three kids. I especially like taking pictures of everyday life in the midst of Mt. Fuji. This kind of documentary photography emphasizes the relationship between the landscape you see (street life) and Mt. Fuji in a fun way- a moment of street life only happens authentically once. Inspired by Katsushika Hokusai, I want to take pictures of Mt. Fuji that no one has ever seen before. My photographs capture unique moments of Mt. Fuji in contemporary Japan. Taking beautiful pictures of Mt. Fuji provides great satisfaction and makes my life worth living.
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Frame 03.
Photographing Mt. Fuji is a passion that brings me joy and doesn't cause harm. Mt. Fuji gives a lot of invisible, powerful energy when you look at her. At least for me, this energy is great for my body, mind-heart, and spirit. She (Mt. Fuji) heals, comforts, and keeps me active. I am able to be gentle with others, and I feel relaxed. I hope that other people also feel soothed by my photographs of Mt. Fuji. I would like Mt. Fuji to speak to more people in the world through her beauty in these photographs. I am not yet satisfied, because my objective is to surpass Hokusai, not artistically speaking, of course. Rather, I aspire for my photographs to empower Mt. Fuji to touch as many people as possible. My dream is to bring Mt. Fuji to the world, by having gallery shows of these Mt. Fuji photos in different countries around the world.
