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Misaki Town, Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. Jun. 22, 2025.

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Misaki Town, Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. Jun. 22, 2025.

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May 1, 2025.

Apr. 27, 2025. Miura City, Kanagawa Pref.

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Tokyo’s holding its assembly election. No doubt in my mind where my vote goes—same left-wing candidate as always. Took care of it early with early voting. Hard to tell if the rainy season came and went, or just skipped town. Forecast says we’re in for a stretch of scorcher days. Personally, I like summer long, hot, and unforgiving. Flowers in the rain look like they’re barely hanging on. But summer blooms? They open up like they’ve got nothing left to lose.

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Matsuwa Fishing Port. 6:34 PM (JST).

Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. May 1, 2025.

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By the wayside.

Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. May 1, 2025.

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At the Cape.

Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. Apr. 21, 2025.

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Minamishitauramachi, Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. Apr. 27, 2025. 6:08 PM (JST).

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Misaki Town, Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. May 4, 2025.

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Hajikoe Town. May 4, 2025.

Misaki Town. May 4, 2025.

Misaki Town. Apr. 27, 2025.

Miura City, Kanagawa Pref.

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Misaki Town, Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. May 1, 2025.

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A female of Tenodera aridifolia.

Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Oct. 2011.

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"I did it!"

Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Sep. 2014.

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In this neighborhood, everyone knows them — the old man and his big tortoise. They’re always together. The man walks slowly, just like his friend. The tortoise never rushes, never waits — but he knows where to turn. The man says he’s been with him since he was small enough to fit in his hand. And that was a long, long time ago.

He wears little handmade sandals — the old man puts them on for him. ‘There’s broken glass here and there in the streets,’ he once said. ‘Can’t let him get hurt.’

Sometimes I still see them on Instagram — the old man and his tortoise, just walking along. Maybe life isn’t as fast as we think it is.

Toshima Ward, Tokyo. Oct., 2014.

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“The Protest That Made No Noise”

While I refrain from lamenting its characteristics or merits here, it is worth noting that protest actions by citizens under this legal system rarely, if ever, spill over into the roadways. There are, to begin with, not enough demonstrators to overflow; the authorities rigidly maintain their barricades; and the media reports it all with a kind of detached indifference.

Since the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, anti-nuclear movements, protests against the Abe administration at the time, and anti-racism actions as countermeasures against far-right groups have all gained momentum. And yet, compared to protest actions in other countries, one cannot help but feel that they still remain overly restrained—almost too well-behaved.

People frequently voice their frustrations about daily life and discontent with politics on social media, almost on a daily basis. But those sentiments rarely, if ever, materialize onto the streets.

I can’t help but feel that this offers a clue as to why #photojournalism and #DocumentaryPhotography in Japan continue to remain largely within the domain of a limited audience—namely, the left, the so-called woke, and the intellectuals.

Near the Prime Minister’s Official Residence. Nagata Town, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Mar. 2018.

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Rhaphiolepis umbellata var. integerrima

It was growing at the fringes of a coastal sand beach, nestled in exposed sandstone formations. Whether in a hollow or a fissure in the rock, it had sunk its roots into what could scarcely be called soil—merely a scattering of sand and gravel—clinging on with a quiet tenacity. The plant stood only about 10 cm tall, though ordinarily it would grow to a height of 1 to 2 meters.

I couldn’t tell whether it was a naturally bonsai-like form shaped by the harsh environment, or simply a very young individual. Yet it had bloomed, and even fruited—the fallen fruit lay nearby. The landscape evoked those depicted in botanical references of Eastern Africa or the rugged escarpments of the Southern Arabian Peninsula. A scene of resilience. A lesson in endurance. Something to aspire to.

Southern coast of the Miura Peninsula. Miura City, Kanagawa Pref. April 27, 2025.

*While not a species listed on any Red List, I have chosen not to disclose the precise location, for obvious reasons.

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