Time after a period

Minamisoma

I visited the same place that I took the pics of the KOINOBORI that you can find also in this blog.
The scenery has been changing completely from that moment.
I couldn't remember the emotion that I felt on that moment.


I'm always realized that I'm changing when I stand on Fukushima.
Under the situational change, changing comes consciously and unconsciously.
However, my memory is getting distance little by little, I can gain the new emotion and memory.


Everything are up to dated always.
Time, mind, emotion, memory.
Nothing stay in as "present".
So we can find the change in front of me visibly.


I could see the scenery that man were working on this site for future when I stood on there.
And it made me feel that the future.
Not good. Not bad.
I mean that I could feel the just a existence of future

With my book

Minamisoma, view from a small bridge 

I haven't been to Fukushima more than 3 month since last visit there.
I did things I could do with my photos of Fukushima.
Making photo book. Photo exhibition. Public talking with photographs.
But I'm not sure these kind of things are useful for people in Fukushima.
Personally I think, these are not useful for people in Fukushima directly.


They don't need "support" so much so far.
They need partner to get back their normal life. (What is normal?)


Even the lands are contaminated by radioactivity, they decided to stay.
Even the lands are not contaminated by radioactivity, they decided to move.


And they knows that they are responsible these decision.


I visited people in Fukushima who became friend of me with my photobook.
And they paid money for the book.
And they were viewing it again and again.


Now I feel a little that I did things I could do as photographer.

Photo exhibition "Bokyaku"

I've started my photo exhibition with my photographs from Fukushima since last 3.12.

Many viewers have visited my show in Harajuku, Tokyo.

I was thinking about the photograph's function to the society we are living in.

There are variety of way of function of photograph in this world.

And I'm sure that every approach with photograph has meaning individually. 

This time I have taken many photograph in Fukushima.

And they are kind of testimonies of existence of accumulated time.

Since long time ago before the disasters are happened, thousands of time have been accumulated in 

Fukushima definitely.

I mere wanted to record the time in my photographs.

I will keep recording the time in Fukushima as the testimony of existence of lives.

Bokyaku (忘却）means oblivion in Japanese.

trace

January 2012  Iitate, Fukushima

Be sure what you see is a result already.
We always see just a result of passing of time.
Then, what can photographs do for now?
What can photographers do for now?
I always doubt my answer to these questions.

「私の町はね、ほんとうに何もないの。でも、もし友達が私の故郷を尋ねてやってきてくれたら、
私は、あの公園に連れて行きたいと思っていた。なにもないけどね、それがいいところでもあるから」

女性は南相馬の故郷を思い出し語った。

公園にやってきた僕は、女性の言葉を思い出し写真を撮った。

誰かにとっては何の意味もない場所かもしれない。
でも、少なくとも、その女性にとっては、大切な場所だということを僕は知っている。
そういう場所が世界にはたくさんあるんだと思う。
でも、そういうものは報われないことのほうが多い。
そういうものが尊いものだと言うことをきっと、あなたも知っている。


"I didn't like my hometown because it has nothing special.
 But now I realized  that my home town would be deserve to be proud.

When my friends visit my hometown, I will take them to a park near my home.
 I love the park very much even it has nothing special."

A woman told me with remembering about her home town in Minamisoma, Fukushima.

When I came to the park she told me, I made a shot with remembering about her words.

The park might be nothing special for someone else.
But, at least, I know that the park very precious for the woman.
I think not a small part of this world are consisted of this kind of places.
But they are hardly thought back.
But you might know that this kinds of  places are very precious for person who love the place.

森の案内人 / A forest guide

森の案内人。
そうプリントのはいったキャップを被り、男性は森の中を進んでいく。
後について歩く僕に向かい、森という空間の中で営まれる自然の仕組みを、一つ一つ丁寧に説明をしながら進んでいく。
森は、単に木々の集合体で有るだけではなく、一つの世界を形成し、その世界に含まれる全ての要素（固体）が役割を担い、成立している。お互いの要素がその森を持続するために機能し、そのバランスが維持されてこそ、森は一つの世界としてそこに成立し続けられる。

男性の説明に、いちいち驚く僕の様子を楽しむようにして、男性は一つ一つの機能を説明してながら進んでいく。

男性が森の案内人になったのは、自然に対する申し訳ないという気持ちからだった。
土木建設業の作業員として長いこと働いてきた男性は、定年と共に森の案内人になることを決めた。彼自身が開発の為に多くの自然を破壊してきた事に対しての贖罪に似た気持ちだったという。
自分に何が出来るだろうかと考えた末、定年からの新たなスタートだった。

案内人になった男性は、首都圏から福島の森に訪れる子供達を案内しながら、自然の役割と意味を説明してきた。多くの子供達は、僕がそうであったのと同じように、初めて知る事実に驚き、そして森が存在する意味を理解していったに違いない。
そして少なからず、森に感謝して帰って行ったのだと推測する。

しかし、今年は、福島県外から来た子供達を、この男性が案内することはなかった。
スケジュールされていた案内の予定は、軒並みキャンセルされていった。
そして男性が最も親しんできた森は警戒区域の内側にあり、彼自身も足を踏み入れることは出来ない。そして男性自身も仮設住宅での避難生活を送っている。

案内を終えて、男性はキャップを外し、深呼吸をした後に言った。
「全てのものはね、ちゃんと理由があってそこに在るんです」


A man of a forest guide walked into inside the forest.
He explained about the structures of forest politely to me following him.
A forest exists as a "world"  more than a gathering of trees.
Every elements included in forest are functioning precisely each other to keep its sustainability.
And it is necessary to be kept the balance  for existence as a "world".


I was really excited about new discovery about forests, and he seemed that he enjoy it.


The reason of his becoming the guide comes from a feeling sorry for nature.
When he worked as construction worker, he had committed to destroy a lot of forest and nature to build new infrastructures like dams, roads and bridges. He had been felt that the destroying is a kind of sin while he did it. So, he needed to be a guide to expiate his sin for himself.


He had educated children who visited forests in Fukushima from urban cities like Tokyo.
Many of children learned from him about the role and meaning of forest to our daily life.
And they must have been excited by knowing new facts about forest as well as I did.
I guess those children felt thanks to forest finally.


But he has not guided any tour from urban cities to forest in Fukushima this year.
All scheduled plans have been cancelled after 3.11.
Now, he cannot access to the familiar forest inside the no-go zone.
And he lives in a temporary house as an evacuee.


After the guide , he took of his cap and  breathed deeply.
And said this to me with serious face.
" Nothing exist there without its meaning and role"

ある生き方の存在 / Life worthy to protect

福島県川内村 / Kawauchi-village, Fukushima

ドアを開けて中に入ると、事務所に居た小さなアパレル会社の社長の男性が、僕達を笑顔で迎え入れてくれた。事務所ではその男性が一人でデスクワークをしていたらしく、他には誰も居なかった。

男性は、原発の事故後、すぐに工場を再開した。
とはいえ、従業員は３０km圏内に入ってしまった村から、避難していたし、無理やりに呼び戻すことなど出来るわけもなく、また、働いていた出稼ぎの外国人の人たちは、放射能を恐れて自分達の国に帰国してしまっていた。再開した頃は社長は一人きりでシャツを縫い合わせるなどの作業をしていたという。

「絶対に負けてたまるかと思ったね」
男性は、事故の事、避難の事を思い出しながらそういった。
「確かにあの地震にはびびったけどね。でもさ、放射能なんかに負けてられないんだよ」
力強い口調で、男性は語っていた。

男性は、若い頃に独立してこの商売をはじめた。
それから、この商売一本でやってきたのだ。
人生の多くをこの場所で費やし、少しずつ成長させてきた。
不景気な時代でも、負けずになんとかやってきた。
酸いも甘いも、全てがそこに共にあるのだろう。

そういうものを、簡単に手放し諦めることなんか出来るはずない。

話を聞いたあと、男性は思い出したように、奥の作業場に居る従業員に夜食を持って行った。
外国から戻ってきた従業員の女性が食事をほおばりながら楽しげにおしゃべりをしている隣で、
男性は軽く微笑みながら、彼女達を見つめていた。




When we got inside a office of a small apparel company,  the head of the company welcomed us with smiling.
I could't find anyone else except him.

He has resumed his business soon after the accident of nuclear plant.
But his employees had evacuated from the village because of fear against the radioactive contamination.
And he could not forcibly call back them to the working floor located inside the zone set as a evacuation zone initially. When the business restarted, he had to do by himself for all process of making cloth.

" I thought then I never give up by such reason"
He told me with remembering what he felt at the time of earthquake.
" Of course I was afraid of the big earthquake.  But I  couldn't give up my business "
He emphasized it again and again.

He became independent when he was young from his master.
Since that time, he has spend most of his life to do this business at the office.
He has dedicated himself for making the company grow bigger.
And it has been done little by little even in the time of recession.
All of his sweets and bitters are happen on this place.

It's not easy for all of people to give up such a big element for his/her life.

After talking with us, he headed for the working floor to bring some light meal for employees.
The employees who have come back from their country were talking and were laughing when they were eating. The man was watching them with little smile.