What the human eye sees is constantly evolving. ‘Mitate’ is the Japanese word ‘to look again’. ‘The more we look, the more we experience, the better we are able to see.’ What captures my eye and interest has remained remarkably consistent. First and foremost, I see myself as a designer or more specifically, a passionate student of design.

As in ‘Shibui’ objects, my photographs appear simple overall, but they include subtle details, textures and color while balancing simplicity with complexity. This balance ensures that one does not tire of a Shibui object but constantly finds new meanings and enriched beauty.

I am captivated by the exhilaration of color. I thrill at seeing shape and form combined with color creating images with ‘Shizen’ (without pretense). I want my photography to capture and enhance ‘Kanso’ (elegant simplicity). The blues of ‘Quiet Reflections’ as in the sea and sky of Japan represent this calmness and asymmetrical balance.

Photography has enabled me to re-evaluate my style and design preferences. My personal vision is enhanced when I select color and composition and then combine it with my unique sense of organizing chaos into simplicity with clarity.

I strive to make photographs balanced between abstraction and realism aspiring to create colorful images of ‘Yūgen’ (subtlety with profound grace). These photographic moments prompt a sense of space and a moment of mysterious perception.

Travel has always been an inspiration for my creativity. It provides an opportunity to experience color and design from a fresh viewpoint. Relating with others allow for an atmosphere that sparks fresh new ways of thinking and discovery. I want my photography to capture and enhance this journey.

Places and cultures in a photograph take on deeper meanings with rich color. I want to portray the mood of the color and that ‘slice of time’. Whether quietly monochromatic or loud and gaudy, I want color and an elegant simplicity to capture the mood.

I like the concept of ‘Shibusa’ (walking a fine line between contrasting aesthetic concepts such as elegant and rough or spontaneous and restrained). ‘Quiet Reflections of Hokkaido Winter’ images were made in February 2023. This photographic opportunity fulfilled my hopes in creating winter ‘ai’ (blue colors), with ‘Seijaku’ (tranquility, simplicity, and silence).