Niigata City — my hometown. A place shaped by the harsh embrace of seasonal winds, once known as “Ura-Nihon,” the back side of Japan, hidden from the spotlight. Yet, beneath that stern sky, it has long nurtured this country with the gift of rice, producing more than anywhere else in the land. It is a city where the quiet pulse of daily life beats steadily — from the elderly to the young, from farmers to dreamers, myself among them. I wish to keep holding this town close to my heart, capturing its fleeting moments and familiar landscapes through the lens of my camera, as the seasons pass.