visited Paris in July. It was the first time I'd been there in my life. I could only stay for a couple of days, but in those moments I fell in love with it. Paris is attractive to many people. So many photographers have taken photographs there. So many masterpieces have been created there. Paris continues to inspire so many artists. Paris. I cannot help but say something about it.I felt the beautiful harmony between the present and the past in Paris.Even though people have changed with the advance of civilization, the city and the culture remain constant. The cutting edge of fashion flows from the "unchanged" city. There is a coexistence between fashion brands and historical monuments. That's amazing. In Tokyo, everything is changing so fast. People always look for something brand new. If you cannot follow them, you are left behind like an alien. On the other hand, even though Paris is a big urban city, the flow of time is slower. People are not just following trends. They keep their individuality and freedom. They have their own will; they're proud of themselves and independent. They live their lives. I feel Paris is very close to me somehow, yet at the same time it seems unreachable. It's the real world, yet the same time it seems unreal or uncanny. The distance always exists. Perhaps this is because I'm a Japanese tourist and stranger. Coming from a completely different culture and language creates a distance between Paris and me, yet this distance comforts me.This distance, which I tried to capture as an observer, is isolated and quiet, yet I still long for it.I feel like in photographing my subjects, I am not only documenting or capturing it, but I'm also capturing the connection between myself and it. In this way, I'm documenting my own reality.
