shashasha

Japanese photographer Seido Kino has captured the region around the town of Okuizumo in Shimane Prefecture in stunning images. Like many rural areas in Japan, Okuizumo's population is declining. In his photographs, Kino focuses on both the physical (rich and varied nature, buildings, man-made structures) and the social and intersubjective layers of the local landscape: How do human history, myths, and lives shape and change the character and culture of a region?

“In Shimane, it makes sense to recognize that nature is something people hare communication with rather than something they control. The tireless change of seasons is a two-sided coin that benefits the land but, sadly, also brings disasters. Delicious rice makes the traditions of mochitsuki, samaki and straw snakes possible, but growing rice also brings about damage by animals.”
― from Seido Kino’s afterword