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Imagine a scene in which cherry blossom petals are showering down like rain. Ancient people mentioned a deep impression of that ephemeral natural beauty through the word “a-wa-re.” On the other hand, they also intimated affection for their beloved through the same word. Lady Murasaki expressed every emotion or feeling of a sensitive heart by means of the term in The Tale of Genji. She used it effectively in every situation in her story, as if to show her own reflection on the transience of human life. Of course, her expression seemed to be influenced by the sense of “shogyo mujo” expressed in Buddhism (everything on earth is impermanent and nothing remains unchanged or everlasting). At that time, our ancestors had a kind of understanding about the teaching of Buddha: all visible things are vanity. However, they never denied the visual charm of beauty, but loved it dearly. That’s why they knew well that human life was fragile and fleeting, so they had an empathy with the ephemeral beauty on this earth. People in Heian period, from Lady Murasaki down, used the word “a-wa-re” as an expression of such deep feeling. They reflected the link between beauty and feelings of sadness in their works. I think they had more sensitive hearts than we do today in modern Japan.

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When I was a high school student, this lesson from the Japanese classics was boring for me. I wasn’t interested in the term “a-wa-re” or the traditional aesthetic ideal. I thought that since we were living in modern society, we would never share those very Japanese feelings detailed in classical literature. It was a long time until I noticed that my creative work was based on a concept which should be called “a-wa-re,” particularly in the case of photographing a woman in the nude. I wondered, ” What should I do to represent what I feel through photography?” I wanted to express a deep emotion I experienced in my heart, but I didn’t know what the feeling was at that time. However, after I photographed a friend of mine, I rediscovered the concept. The traditional meaning of the term seemed to fit the feeling common to both of us. It had a hint of sadness, and at the same time, what could even be called joy. It seemed to me that the feeling suggested an affinity between beauty and sadness. Then I remembered the classical stories and traditional poetry from ancient times.

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I’ve been attracted by Western Art, but now I’m in sympathy with the thousand-year-old aesthetic in Japanese literary works. When I photograph a women in the nude, I want to represent not only her visual beauty but also something invisible–the ambiance of grace, mystery, sorrow, transience, ambiguity and so on, which surrounds her. “A-wa-re” implies all. That is to say, photographing fine art nudes is the best way for me to express a sense of “a-wa-re.” I think that when women–including myself–take off their clothes, they could express the feelings or emotions in the depth of their hearts better if they could relax. That’s my own opinion. From that point of view, I’ve been conscious of the very Japanese feeling “a-wa-re,” not only when I photograph a woman in the nude, but also when I photograph flowers and landscapes.