Description

While the coronavirus pandemic has been difficult financially, it has given me the blessing of an abundance of time with my daughter. Recently I took her to Shirakawa-go in Gifu, Japan. We arrived just after a snowstorm unleashed massive amounts of snow across Japan’s mountains, creating a magical winter playground out of this historical village. While the village itself dates back to the 12th century, this house is “only” 160 years old. The roof is made of thatched straw and the building structure uses no nails, only a sophisticated system of joinery work and ropes. The contrast of what so many generations built before versus all the untold possibilities that await my daughter is deeply thought provoking. This shot was taken inside the Kanda House as smoke rose from the hearth below. I was attempting to capture the sunlit smoke as my daughter wandered into the frame to investigate.