This work offers a glimpse into the natural, everyday life that breathes life into the streets of New York.

—Could you tell us your honest reaction when you received the offer to participate in this exhibition?

"I was so happy. I thought it was something I'd like to do, and I believe that the best way to show my work is through a photo exhibition. Also, I have the opportunity to exhibit somewhere every year, but being able to do it at Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building means that new people will be able to see it, which I'm very grateful for."

—When and where were the photographs of the works on display taken?

"These photos were mainly taken in New York in February of this year. When it comes to overseas travel, I've mostly had opportunities to go to Europe, but I had the chance to go to New York for work, and I was reminded of what an interesting city it is. It rained for most of my stay, but I didn't think of it as a bad thing; that's just how time was going at the time. New York has poor drainage, so there were lots of puddles in the city, and I took pictures of 'what I wanted to photograph there'."


—However, filming during the extremely cold season and in heavy rain proved to be extremely difficult.

"When I'm shooting, I basically lie down on the side of the road, patiently waiting for the right moment to take a picture, so I get completely soaked in the rain and it's really cold (laughs). There are fewer people around on rainy days, and even when I'm taking pictures, I can't just use anyone walking by. I end up crawling on the ground, holding an umbrella to keep the camera from getting wet, waiting. I must look like a weirdo (laughs). But on this occasion, I had a wonderful encounter with a Brazilian photographer, and it made me realize that even lying down in the streets of New York can have its advantages (laughs)."

—And I heard that filming indoors was quite a challenge as well...


"This is a station on the Grand Central Line, and the day before I saw someone walking there early in the morning, so I really wanted to take a picture. They only walk there in the morning, so I waited from around 5 a.m. But they don't walk by very often, because it's a station window. I finally managed to get a shot of them passing by from the other side. They weren't passing by at all, so I almost gave up halfway through (laughs)."

Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , attracts visitors from all over the world.

"To be honest, I'm not sure how many foreigners will come this time, but what I think is that going to a place you've never been to before is good for any reason. For example, just to learn, 'So this is what this place is like.' In that sense, I think there are many people who come to the photo exhibition who don't usually go to Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building , and among women, there are probably many who have never set foot inside. I think it's important for those people to get to know the place. I think it's important that the number of new visitors increases even a little, so I would like as many people as possible, regardless of whether they are Japanese or foreigners, to know about it."

—What message do you want to convey through this exhibition?


"I think everyone experiences things differently, so if you feel something, that's enough for me, and if you don't feel anything at all, that's fine too. I can't do this for this exhibition, but I usually make sure to be present at the gallery throughout the entire duration of my exhibitions. It's partly to express my gratitude to those who come, and partly because I want to know how they view my work. Even if they say they didn't feel anything, it motivates me for the next exhibition."