I’m sitting inside watching the snow fall outside my window in Tadami-machi, Fukushima. In Yokohama, I don’t recall it snowing at all this season. That fact is a little disappointing for me since I really love snow. When I have photo shoots in the northern area, I often think to myself, “This is going to be tough,” but when I arrive, the feeling fades and I actually get very excited.
Despite the fact that it was rather late at night when I arrived in Tadami-machi, the lodge owner and his family waited for me with dinner. When I saw their faces, my heart ached a little bit because of their kindness and I almost cried. After dinner, I laid down on my futon and climbed under the warm blankets. I stared with contentment at the ceiling, my heart also filled with a warmth it seemed to have been missing.
Herbie Yamaguchi once told me, “With each snap of the shutter, I wish for my subject’s happiness.” Ever since I heard that, I have always kept it in mind when I shoot, and yet, it is quite difficult. However, this time, the subjects naturally made me feel that way.
The owner of the lodge also runs a soba shop and makes really good soba noodles. As I eat my noodles I recall a saying of my grandfather: “Soba mirrors the chief’s character.” That clearly explained why the soba here was so great!
- Hachijuri-an Handmade Soba
- Fukushima-ken Minami Aizu-gun Tadami-machi Oaza Kanozu Aza Irikanozu 30
TEL: 0241-82-3401
Website: yumekaidou.jp