The Return: Japan. April 2025.

Kobe, Japan.

4/12/2025. After a long absence I finally arrived at Kobe’s Venus Bridge once more.  Having last stood here in late November of 2019, much has changed and the world is a different place now.  What hasn’t changed is the excellence of this view and the deep affection I have for this beautiful country.  Walking up here from Sannomiya, through the quiet, elegant neighborhoods of Kobe and arriving at this familiar spot was very satisfying and felt like everything had come full circle.

This most recent outing lasted 24 nights and brought me to many new places, while also retracing my footsteps to many familiar haunts.  Having been away for so long, it was a relationship renewed and a bond deepened.  I am honored to have returned and full of gratitude.

Welcome back, welcome back.

Industrial Sunset. April 2025.

Marugame, Shikoku, Japan.

4/4/2025. Work progresses on my 16 Knots project.  I recently spent a couple weeks exploring the Seto Inland Sea region in Western Japan.  This gorgeous area is dotted with countless islands and is home to dozens of shipyards.  Imabari Shipbuilding operates several large yards throughout the region.  Pictured here is Imabari’s Marugame Yard, a location I’ve been wanting to see for quite some time.

As impressive as Japan’s shipbuilding industry is, it’s facing an uncertain future.  Competition and price undercutting from China have resulted in substantial marketshare decline for Japan and Korea.  This, combined with uncertainty in global trade and the world order have created substantial headwinds.

Wakayama Nights. December, 2019.

Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.

12/6/2019.  Recently, I spent five nights in a small seaside village on the Kii Peninsula.  There’s a beach, two convenience stores, a home-improvement store and not much else.  Nights are peaceful here, the only sounds to be heard are the waves and an old train that rolls through every hour or two.  The tracks traverse the center of town, between the closely spaced houses and the crop fields.  I had researched this shot months in advance, and after spending time there, I felt it captured the experience of life in this village.  After scouting it on foot during the day, I returned in the evening, calculated the exposure and waited patiently in the crisp autumn air.  It took a couple outings to get the frame I wanted, but the slow, quiet experience was worth it.