flower

震災直後、私は個人にできることの限界を感じ、無力感でいっぱいだった。写真を生業にしている私は、写真にできることは何か考える日々が続き、答えが出せないままでいたが、まずは現地に行こうと決めた。

そして、被災地を訪ねた何度目かのときのことだった。
手応えをつかめないまま日暮れを迎え、そろそろ帰ろうかと思いながら寄った船着き場で、私は一輪の花に出会った。津波でひび割れたコンクリートのわずかな隙間に根を張り、咲く花。その姿は疲れ果てた私の心に安らぎを与えてくれた。

その後も被災地に赴き、私は写真を撮り歩いた。
壊された街並みや人々を記録していくうちに、私はいつのまにか自分自身の生き方を見つめ直していた。そして、ときおり、あの花を思い出した。
誰かのために咲くわけでもなく、誰かに見られようと咲くわけでもない。どんな苦しい環境でも美しく咲いていた花は「浜菊」という名で、「逆境に立ち向かう」が花言葉であることをのちに知った。

被災地を訪れるうちに、良い写真を撮ることよりも、心が豊かになる写真を撮りたいと私は思うようになった。崖に咲く浜菊のような花を誰かの心にも咲かせられるように……。

Right after the 3.11, the Tohoku Earthquake, I felt totally helpless because I came to realize the limitations what people can do individually. As I am a professional photographer, I have been thinking what I can do with my pictures for people who suffered from this tragedy. Although I hadn't been able to find the right answer, I decided to go to Tohoku area for starters.

At first I couldn't do anything. I had no idea what to do. I didn't know what I should do. But I never stopped going there. I believed that there was something that I could do for them with my pictures. One day afternoon, I was so exhausted that I should go home. Before I left I stopped off briefly in the dock. Something caught my eyes there. There was a beautiful flower which bloomed in a slight gap of cracked concrete ground. It seemed to have survived the tsunami. I was impressed by this. This flower was a hope. It gave me peace and comfort to my weary soul.

Even after that I kept going off to the disaster area to take photographs. Taking photographs of people or the buildings and houses devastated by earthquake, gradually I started to reconsider myself and my life. And when I think of it there is always that flower in my heart.

It doesn't bloom for someone, and it doesn't bloom to show off its beauty. It blooms because it is the fate. I was impressed the flower's strength to bloom in such devastated area. I learned it later but the flower's name is ‘Hanagiku, Nippon daisy,' which in flower language means ‘stand up to adversity.'

After a while I visited the disaster-stricken area, I became to think that I would rather take pictures which can enrich people's hearts than take looking-good pictures. I try to keep taking photos with my faith. I will be happy if my pictures light up someone's heart as the Hinagiku in the disaster stricken area did to me.