When I was invited to Tanabe City’s summer festival—an annual matsuri with over 450 years of history—I was asked what kind of photographs I wished to make. My answer was clear: I did not want to produce conventional landscape or tourism images. I wanted to photograph the people of Tanabe, and the places where they live, work, and gather.

Human presence lies at the center of my photographic practice. I believe that a city reveals itself through daily gestures, quiet environments, and objects shaped by long use. In these details, memory and history remain visible—not as nostalgia, but as something still lived.

I approached Tanabe with simplicity and sincerity, photographing people and landscapes as they appeared in that moment. The images are records of encounters between myself, the city, and its residents. Through them, I hope viewers not only see Tanabe, but also sense the position from which these photographs were made.

What kind of environment shapes its people.

And in turn, how do people shape a city’s culture and future?

Today, many young people leave small towns for larger cities, and places like Tanabe face the challenge of depopulation. Yet these towns continue to hold deep natural beauty, rich food traditions, and refined craftsmanship. Preserving such heritage requires more than memory—it requires continued presence.

A thousand years ago, people walked the Kumano Kodo in search of spiritual clarity. Today, some return from the cities, bringing new perspectives and forms of exchange. Through this movement, small towns begin to find new rhythms of life.

These photographs invite reflection on how we engage with historic cities, and how their cultural legacy might be sustained for future generations.