Publisher/窓社

Google翻訳
"Kodama," a photobook by Japanese photographer Hajime Kimura. While studying architecture at university, he came across a collection of local history materials in a library he visited for a seminar research project. Drawn to the simple, unspoiled landscapes that are gradually being forgotten in modern times, he headed to a mountain village in Niigata after graduating from university and photography school. There, he documented the lives of the "Matagi," a village group that hunts wild animals such as bears using traditional hunting methods. These people live a life of half-farming and half-hunting, battling the harsh natural environment of extreme cold and heavy snow. Kimura spent several years from 2007 documenting their lives. Hunting in the snowy mountains, slash-and-burn agriculture in the summer, and beautiful landscapes... The traditional Japanese way of life and the beauty of the scenery are expressed so beautifully that it is like a sumi-e (ink painting). Rather than modern themes such as "urban" or "contemporary," he focuses on subjects that are generally overlooked or being forgotten, presenting us with new questions and re-evaluations, while simultaneously vividly depicting traditional Japanese culture. His style has received high praise overseas as well.