(eca015): Japanese photographer celebrates "forgotten Japan" (Feature)

By Takehiko Kambayashi Oct 6, 2010, 5:03 GMT

Onomichi, Japan - In 2004, photographer Noriko Nakamoto became enchanted by the serene atmosphere of the once-prosperous port city of Onomichi and started to document what she calls the 'forgotten Japan.'

Disillusioned with relationships and burnt out from working in an urban centre, Nakamoto, 34, decided to move to this western Japanese city and spent more than five years capturing images of its scenery, old temples, fish peddlers, homely eateries and ramshackle dwellings on steep slopes.

While Onomichi, which includes several small islands in the Seto Inland Sea, is unknown even to many Japanese, visitors can cherish good old Japan and take stock of their lives, she says.

'Many people in Japan have forgotten what is really important in life,' Nakamoto says.

Nakamoto, who has seldom worked for celebrities or big corporations, focused her work on the daily lives of the locals and their city, until she was almost broke and could no longer pay her rent. But her experience enriched her life, she says.

Onomichi is 'like a treasure trove. I've been digging here for five years and am still able to find what I think is treasure,' she says. 'Unlike grey uniformity in neighbouring industrial cities, Onomichi can provide different perspectives and rhythms. I've been thrilled by the city's surroundings and different culture.'

The city, however, is located in one of the most conservative regions in this unapologetically male-dominated country. Locals often ask Nakamoto about her age and marital status rather than about her work.

'I'm used to it,' she says, beaming.

In her teens, Nakamoto was often considered 'different' among her peers in a society which prizes conformity. While many students were keen to meet the pressure to excel, she was reluctant to go to school, but loved to draw pictures, write poems and read books and manga.

Today, Nakamoto has taught photography to physically challenged people and been an instructor for more than 100 locals.

Kazuyoshi Inukai, a hospital worker, is one of her students.

'Nobody had ever commended my photos. But she did from day one. I was so delighted,' he says. 'She also impressed me when she said, 'There is no answer in photography because everyone has different perspectives.''

Kohei Oi, another student, now does some freelance photography for a major daily.

'I used to walk with my head down, but after I started to take photos, I often look at the sky,' Oi, a college student, says. 'I also see things more carefully when taking photos.'

Another draw are the people populating Onomichi, many of them reminiscent of characters out of a movie, Nakamoto says.

One of them, she says, is Koki Yamane, an energetic local business leader who runs eight Japanese-style pubs in the region.

Yamane says he wants to create more job opportunities so that young people won't have to leave.

'After travelling around the country, I came to believe Onomichi is a really good place to live,' he says. 'This place has strong ties among its people. Business owners here not only seek profits but also think of this community as a whole.'

Like many other parts of Japan, Onomichi has to deal with the effects of its greying population. For example, its hillsides are dotted with an increasing number of vacant properties. More older people have been moving out of the area as they find it difficult to climb the slopes every day.

Moreover, as Japan's decades-long economic downturn has hit its provinces especially hard, more people have abandoned their hometowns to seek work in a big city.

'Many people have forgotten what their hometown has given them,' Nakamoto says.

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