九州は宮崎県国富町。
田畑が広がるのどかで小さなこの田舎町に、86歳になる私の祖母と23歳になる私の従兄弟・大輝が共に生きていました。大輝は幼少期より祖母と同じ家、同じ 屋で暮らし、大切に てられてきました。祖母の家に遊びに行くと必ず、祖母の側には大輝が居ました。祖母は必ず大輝の話をしました。いつだったか、大輝が私に向かってこう言ったことがあります。
「ばあちゃんが死ぬまで僕が面倒 る」
その言葉通り、青年へと成長してからも祖母と離れることなく、二人の暮らしは続きました。大輝にとって祖母は「居場所」そのものだったのでしょう。祖母にとって大輝は、人生の晩期に訪れた宝物だったに違いありません。お互いがお互いを必 としながら、支えあい、いたわりあいながら生きてきた二人。そこには確かな信頼と愛情、そして二人だけの時間が緩やかに流れていました。
私はそんな二人が紡ぐ小さな日常を家族として、写真家として描写し続けました。そしてこのストーリーは、遠くない将来に訪れるであろう祖母の死をもって終わりを迎えるはずでした。
しかし、それはある日突然、何の前触れもなくやって来たのでした。大輝はその生涯を自ら閉じたのです。青々とした若葉がいくつかの季節を巡った後、落葉し、その生を全うするかの如く。
この作品は小さな田舎町に生まれ、小さな生命を育み、小さな日常を生きた、小さな家族の愛の物語です。
Kunitomi Town in Miyazaki Prefecture, Kyushu.
My grandmother, who is 86 years old, and my cousin Daiki, who is 23 years old, were living together in this small, peaceful rural town with rice fields.
were living together.
Daiki has lived in the same house and room with my grandmother since he was a child, and has been raised with great care.
Whenever I went to visit my grandmother's house, Daiki was always by her side.
My grandmother always talked about Daiki.
My grandmother, who is 86 years old, and my cousin Daiki, who is 23 years old, were living together in this small, peaceful rural town with rice fields.
were living together.
Daiki has lived in the same house and room with my grandmother since he was a child, and has been raised with great care.
Whenever I went to visit my grandmother's house, Daiki was always by her side.
My grandmother always talked about Daiki.
One day, Daiki said to me
"I'll take care of her until grandma die.
"I'll take care of her until grandma die.
As he said, he never left my grandmother even after he grew up to be a young man, and they continued to live together.
For Daiki, his grandmother was his place to be.
For grandmother, Daiki must have been a treasure that came to her in the last days of her life.
The two of them have lived their lives supporting and caring for each other while needing each other.
There was a certain trust and affection, and time flowed gently between them.
As a family and as a photographer, I have continued to depict the small daily lives of these two people.
This story was supposed to come to an end with the death of my grandmother in the not too distant future.
For Daiki, his grandmother was his place to be.
For grandmother, Daiki must have been a treasure that came to her in the last days of her life.
The two of them have lived their lives supporting and caring for each other while needing each other.
There was a certain trust and affection, and time flowed gently between them.
As a family and as a photographer, I have continued to depict the small daily lives of these two people.
This story was supposed to come to an end with the death of my grandmother in the not too distant future.
But one day, it came suddenly and without warning.
Daiki closed his life on his own.
It was as if a lush young leaf had gone through several seasons before falling and fulfilling its life.
Daiki closed his life on his own.
It was as if a lush young leaf had gone through several seasons before falling and fulfilling its life.
This work is a love story of a small family, born in a small country town, nurturing a small life, living a small everyday life.
