In May 2021, I moved from a place called Noda City in Chiba Prefecture to Shibecha Town in Hokkaido.
The reason for my move was to 'take nature photographs.'

The Reason for Moving

I have loved nature since I was a child, and in my 20s, I worked as a dog trainer. However, I gradually felt a desire to be involved with nature on a larger scale, not just with dogs, and I wanted to convey the wonder and preciousness of nature by creating photos and videos. More recently, I've wanted to engage in activities to protect nature and the environment through my work. In 2018, wanting to see the reality of global warming firsthand, I traveled to Alaska to photograph wild polar bears.

After that, I decided that if I was going to photograph nature in Japan, Hokkaido was the only place to be, and I made the decision to move.
I was fortunate to connect with someone who had raised 20 wolves in Shibecha Town, and they allowed me to use their facility, so I moved here with my four dogs.

Currently, my main job is as a member of the Community-Revitalization Cooperator squad. I focus on the rich nature, animals, and the people living in Shibecha Town, using the skills I've gained over the years to promote the town through photos and videos. Having just moved here in May 2021, I'd like to share with you a little bit of the charm of Shibecha Town as I see it.

The Charm of Shibecha Town

What moved me most when I first came to Shibecha Town was the ability to encounter so many wild animals on a daily basis.

I feel that being able to truly sense that creatures other than humans are living alongside us in our own living spaces provides a certain kind of richness for us, who live in an age of modernization and urbanization. By placing myself in nature, I feel I can face it with a humility and directness that would otherwise be impossible.

The primary industry in Shibecha Town is dairy farming. You can see cows and horses everywhere in the town. Also, because the town has a vast area of open plains, it allows for a very open and free-spirited way of life. Seeing the sun set over the horizon was another thing that moved me after moving here. I've seen the sunset over the ocean many times, but I think a sunset over the horizon is a rare sight. I realized this is a unique charm of Shibecha, with its many plains.

The Richness of the People

Having moved to Shibecha Town by myself, I had been anxious about whether I could fit in with friends and the local people. However, I soon realized that my worries were unfounded. After moving, I was invited to community gatherings and treated to meals at people's homes.

Country life is a series of challenges. Especially for me, having only ever lived in the Kanto region, I had no knowledge or experience of living in nature. As a result, I've gotten my car stuck in the mud, and there are so many things I have to do myself, from learning how to operate a weed whacker to cutting wood. My neighbors have been incredibly kind and helpful.
The people who live here embrace each day and move forward with a sense of affirmation. They live within the grand cycle of nature, accepting what cannot be changed, and humbly and constantly moving forward. I love this way of life. The fact that everyone here knows from experience that they cannot defy nature seems to be a very important perspective for living on an Earth that continues to experience abnormal weather.

Future Activities

As for the future, my current plan is to first live here for a full year, truly feeling the four seasons—not to accomplish anything specific, but to simply live, feeling the harshness and abundance of nature with my whole being. I believe that the feelings and experiences I gain during this time will naturally be reflected in my photos and videos.

Also, as a Community-Revitalization Cooperator, by living here for a full year, I think I'll be able to see not only the good aspects of the town but also areas that need improvement. After gaining a solid understanding of the current situation, I would be very happy if I could contribute even a little to the future development of Shibecha Town.

More specifically, I am currently focusing my activities on my YouTube channel. It's called the 'Shibecha Town Community-Revitalization Channel,' and I aim to create one video per week.


My subscribers are gradually increasing, and in the future, I hope the channel can also serve as a sort of town bulletin board. I'd like to develop it to the point where people can watch the channel to know what's currently happening in Shibecha Town.

As for my personal activities, I will continue to create photos and videos and share them on social media. Through my work, I want to convey the charm of Hokkaido and the importance and preciousness of nature. I also want to connect with people involved with various living creatures and express the 'relationship between humans and animals' as a theme. Depending on the COVID-19 situation, I hope to go on assignment overseas once a year to raise awareness in Japan about various animal-related issues such as poaching, environmental destruction, global warming, animal sanctuaries, and animal testing.
I am still inexperienced in many ways, but I plan to continue this 'A Fine Day in Shibecha' series on a monthly basis. I look forward to your support.