Sandoh

”Sandoh” means a path people walk to the shrine. It also means the birth canal the new life goes through. The gate of Meiji shrine opens at dawn. While the sky slowly starts to clear up, the inside of the forest is still dark, turning from an old day to a new day. Greenness of the forest shined by dark morning light and a nude shot of a woman struck me with the image of life that is inherited from the primitive time. Meiji shrine was founded in 1920 in order to enshrine the spirit of Meiji emperor. The forest of the shrine was planted artificially in a complete wilderness. Nowadays, it is located within a working distance to Shinjuku and Shibuya, the busiest commercial districts in Japan. Technicians back then intended to create the primeval forest in 100 years. Now it is turning from artificial forest to natural one. I realized I was always looking at this man-made forest without knowing the history. If I could go back to time100 years ago, I would like to tell people who were involved that we certainly received their soul in this ever-lasting project. Every time I walk out the path of Meiji Shrine, it makes me feel that something within me becomes new. Shibuya,Tokyo