“Michinoku Homeward: Walking toward Northeast” is a deeply personal documentary with subjective approach by a Japanese photographer originally from the region. In 2021, 10 years after the disaster in “Michinoku,” an old name of Northeast Japan, I walked and photographed along the historical route going the distance of 400 km. This is a photo documentary with journalistic topicality and with somewhat poetic view towards my home.

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2011 was the unforgettable year of the disasters hitting my home. The earthquake, Tsunami and the nuclear accident took over 22,000 lives. I was devastated by my powerlessness as a native.

10 years passed. I traveled 400 km along the historical route, officially organized in the very beginning of the 17th century, from the 0 mile point in Tokyo to my home in Yamagata in the northeast by an ancient manner, walking. I also went to Fukushima Nuclear plant area only to be shocked by the sights of barely inhabited and mostly uninhabited areas facing each other. It was also confusing to see the Government of Fukushima building new roads in the area where no resident was left.

2021 was also the year of Tokyo Olympic Games, delayed due to Covid19 and held despite the difficulty. Leaving from the Olympic enthusiasm, I walked northeastward.

Instead of a three hour travel with a super express train, with this slow travel a decade after the disaster, my motivation was to observe my home closely and intimately by walking for 1 month. This primitive manner of traveling gave me a chance to observe closely the land’s progress and/or regress.

I photographed the way home, the people I met on my way, and my home. This photo project captures my home at the verge of changing or even disappearing.