proof of my being

The sun is setting now, making everything in sight orange with its slowly fading light. Here I am, standing in the middle of the rice field. I see my own shadow through the lenz, therefore I am.

changing scene on the rice paddies

When I was a kid growing up in this farming community, the rice paddies were cultivated and harvested by human hands, mostly those of our neighbors. Well, that has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Now all you see is these fancy machines which do the work almost by themselves without the help of human hands. A step forward in civilization? Maybe, but rice paddies without people working together sure look empty and sad in a way.

make sure your seat belt is securely fastened

We are just seconds away from landing at the airport. It is a one-hour-30-minute flight from Shanghai to Kagoshima. The funny part is that it takes nearly two hours from the airport to my house. Hopefully I can catch the limousine bus in time. Otherwise, I could have to wait for an hour or so. My hometown is far away from here, for better or worse.

home coming

Summer 2006. I'm on my way back to my hometown in Southern Japan, Kagoshima. The symbol of our region, Mt. Sakurajima, shows us a welcoming face before the airplaine lands at the airport. This is where my heart belongs. Despite many years of life in big cities, I still retain a small-town-boy-spirit.