It is so refreshing to see a young person willing to leave their home and live in another country. In my opinion, it changes your life for the better. I was born in the UK, and grew up in Canada. As soon as I graduated from university, my wife and I moved to Hong Kong. We lived there for eight years. We then moved to Singapore for two years, and finally Vietnam for a year. My work sent me all over the indoor/asia-pacific region and I spent a lot of time in many countries including Japan. Each Asian city was unique in its people, culture, and cuisine. I loved Japan and found two sides to their people, the reserved and respectful daily face put forward for work and school; but also the fun loving, talkative, almost mischievous side of those Japanese I became friends with. Coming back to Canada and eventually moving to the United States made me appreciate how privileged we are and deeply aware I had become of the different kinds of struggles each country’s peoples face. It made me a much more tolerant person. I think all young people should strive to find a way to live in a country foreign to their own, you won’t regret it.
That was not a video--it is a film. Really interesting, informing and beautifully captured. I'm so impressed with your introspection and ability to communicate those perspectives.
I very much appreciate your videos. They are earnest, thoughtful, intelligent, and modest at the same time. They are also able to convey many things, simple or more complex that I find useful for my photography. Being European, I am very sensitve to what you say, because we share a history as long as yours, and as complex, with many influences, and with the development of a specific culture-philosophy. I wouldn't be so bold to pretend that I know Japanese culture, and philosophy, but, to someone from the old world, many things I am able to grasp. I very much appreciated your various videos on the parallel between japanese traditional notions and how to carry them into one's photography. Please do continue your work, it is I'm sure, hugely appreciated by many.
Thank you for this. I am Cuban born, raised in Miami, In a very Cuban home where we had to speak Spanish and lived in a very Cuban way. For example, we ate rice with everything, even with spaghetti and meatballs; this ended when my sister and I were teenagers and finally stopped eating the rice served on the side with the spaghetti and meatballs. I moved to San Francisco in 1994, when I was 40, and then moved to Davis, CA, where I live now, in 2001. I have not gone back to Cuba, nor will I ever, but I do go back home, to South Florida, often. Anyway, learning and living how people here in California see me, as a "Miami Cuban" and/or as a Cuban (especially since, to most people, I don't look Cuban) has been enlightening and frustrating, and shaped my academic work and PhD thesis. Often I am not only seen as "exotic" because I am Cuban but I am also seen as "exotic" and as a right wing extremist because of Florida's politics and because many of my fellow Cubans in the US are right wing. And when I go back home, when I visit in South Florida, some of my relatives and friends think I am a left wing "communist" because I live in California. Oh well. About photography, when I am back in South Florida, I always appreciate my family and few remaining friends more and more, which is why I mostly photograph them, even though out here in California and elsewhere I visit in the US I mostly do street and architecture/urban geometry photography. Somehow, back home, my attention is on those I love, though this year I plan to do some photo-exploring in Miami and South Beach. And yes, to your closing remark, everywhere I go, I am Cuban. So, I understand completely how you feel and so enjoyed this video on a very personal level, though I always enjoy your posts. Thank you so very much for sharing so generously of yourself.
Thank you for watching my video and sharing your story. I’m so glad my video could reach to someone like you. I would love to see your photos of your hometown in future. Thanks again.
More like a short film. Very well done!The messaging is clear, heartfelt and sincere. It stirs the heart & emotion. Bravo! P/s Always have an enjoyable & memorable trip to Japan.
Bravo! Very deep thoughts and poetic images. I’m going to Japan in June for the first time. Can’t wait. Your country has always been the most fascinating to me. Finally I have the occasion to see it with my own eyes. I’m so happy. Keep up the good work. You have interesting things to say and you do it super well 👌🏻✌🏻. Greetings from Italy
Greetings from Paris 👋 I'm new to your channel and am really enjoying your videos on Japanese philosophies & culture in parallel with your photography 🫶 ✨
Toshiki, you have the best films on You Tube. I am so moved always by the content you present and your artistic eye!!! I look forward to all of your work!!! (Also, traveling throughout Japan is my dream)!!!
Absolutely wonderful video with such great imagery and pertinent commentary. Your insights on Japan really captivated me since I have lived in Montreal all my life but visited Tokyo last year and work with Japan-based colleagues. The scene of your reflection on the train was really beautiful.
Great video, and a well made point. I think the reason for Japan's popularity is the fact that most of the "cons" only really affect residents. As a tourist, poor economy and social pressures don't matter much - but you do get all of the "pros". The same could be said for many places though. I have lived in several different countries and every time the experience has basically been "It's a great place to visit, but living there is not so fun". The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I think one of the biggest appeals (at least to westerners) is the fact that Japan is so different, in so many ways. It has essentially been isolated for most of it's history and has evolved without outside influence. The culture and beliefs that evolved are deep rooted and lead to a completely different mindset in Japanese people, which manifests itself in other ways throughout Japanese society. You don't just do things differently, you think differently, and feel differently. For people who live in a society where everyone is looking out for themselves and trying to get ahead by any means, it's refreshing and inspiring to see that at least in one part of the world, people value kindness and respect, and are trying to make things better for everyone.
This really hit home for me. As someone who travels back and forth from the US to Japan while living in both countries, this really helps with the perspective struggle that I have. Many things I thought about put into motion and how it affects my photography. I struggle with my photography in Japan at times and I can relate with this perspective. Thank you for sharing this with the world 👏
I just watched three videos from you and i absolutely love what you do in your videos. It’s the way you capture the light of things and somehow transmits this calming feeling. Really like it. And it’s definitely inspiring me to take more photos and learn more about photography. Regarding Japan. It’s my dream trip that i will make sometime soon. I not only love the usual stuff people like about Japan but it’s the whole story of Japan and the culture that allures me. I really want to see it and experience it. After watching this video, I definitely want it more. Thank you so much. You got a new subscriber 😊🫶🏻 Sayonara
I am half Japanese and am always torn between both of my home countries 😢 Japan is so beautiful and the spirit of the vibe there is what hooks so many people to it
Amazing, thank you! I can really relate to this video. Weirdly enough, I always thought Switzerland and Japan are very similar, even tho might appear very different at first. I am from Switzerland and moved in New Jersey, I clearly see my country with new eyes since I left. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Japan, I might go this year for the first time. Looking forward for it. Thank you for your video, words are amazing, and the direction of photography is absolutely beautiful.
Beautifully shot video. I was in Osaka and Kyoto in November and December and visited many of the places in your video. This was my first time in Japan since 2019 (I used to visit every year but the regular trips ended in 2020...) Beautiful country, fascinating history and culture and, in my experience, some of the most friendly and welcoming people I've ever met. Can't wait to go back
Thank you for posting. Very informative and well done. I like your style. I now live in Japan (from Chicago) and am enjoying your country. The past 41 years I worked for Japanese companies and Japan has been like a 2nd home. Yes, my wife is Japanese. I want to visit Osaka as it is sister city with Chicago.
Wow that's nice! I've been to Chicago and I felt like a home. And I'm sure you will like Osaka if you are from Chicago. I'm gonna go there next month too and make a video!
Very enjoyable video! It is an interesting idea of seeing your own culture, but after being subjected to another culture. This is also a feeling I am wanting to experience in some travels I will do soon. I hope you are enjoying your stay here in Montreal. I would be very interested in hearing what you think of photography in Montreal/Quebec. That could be a very interesting video topic. From my point of view, I always felt like the people here in this province, do not really appreciate being photographed. Especially the more elder generation. What are your thoughts and experiences here (in Montreal)?
Your approach to photography and life is inspiring. Your home country is impressive in positive as well as in negative ways. I think this a universal human condition. I believe that achievements such as culture is ever-changing and must be interpreted through the individual, the good perservered and the bad things rejected. This is a tough task, as many of these are considered traditions and customary. Photography is an excellent way to observe these developments and draw conclusion on a personal level.
Thanks for this interesting video, I hope to visit Japan one day … maybe go to Hokkaido and see some of the landscapes captured by Michael Kenna. 📷🇯🇵🇨🇦🙂 PS: Can you ever remember experiencing freezing rain in Japan like we’re having in Montreal today?
New to your channel so while you may have explained in a past video....curious as to why you are Montreal based and how long you have been there. I have been to Japan twice one wewk each time in conjunction with work and just had my cellphone with me so I was not experiencing Japan as "a photographer" at the time.... The ubiquitous vending machines, Itsukushima Shrine, the train rides...some things to photograph if the opportunity presents itself some day in the future. Originally from the US but have been living in Europe about half my life. So I understand some of the experiences and feels while during trips "home..."
I left my home country when I was young, and became a photographer in NY. All I dream about is when I can go back one day and exercise my eye. I do believe that subconsciously, that is where I learned to “see.” Your videos always resonate with me, thanks for sharing.
I lived in Kobe in 1991 for three months and loved my time there. Japan is certainly not without its problems - as you said, every country has problems. My home country, USA, certainly does. As for photography, I feel that in the USA many people view photography and photographers generally suspiciously as if the photographer wants to do something harmful when the intention is just trying to capture moments in time and the subjects themselves are not important. Even in public places, many times the response may be “why did you take my picture and what do you intend to do with it?” Perhaps some of this is due to social media and the fact that a photograph can be taken and shown to millions within minutes. Maybe you feel this more in Canada than in Japan as well?
Japan is the last beacon for hope. As an Australian, who has lived in NYC and Toronto. Japan has always been a place of pure peace and respect, more so than any other countries I have experienced. When I say beacon for hope, I truely mean that. The history and nationalism is what truly sets it apart, and I hope Japanese people appreciate this. High trust societies are few, and what Japan has to offer, it's incredible to see and feel.
I visit Tokyo from the USA almost weekly and have been for years. I tell people to put it top on bucket/vacation list and go immediately. I also tell them Japan culture is how it should be done. Period. Dot.
Another brilliant video, especially with your perspective of your country. 🤌🏽 (btw I visited Japan last October and fell in love. I didn’t have any expectations but when I stepped into Shibuya I was gobsmacked. Blown away. So much happening yet, I could take everything in. Then beautiful Kyoto. I fell in love with the culture, how everyone and everything has a place, there’s no chaos. It’s orderly. Of course food and anime too. I cannot wait to visit again in 2026.) Japan was a life changing experience for me and it transcended into my film photography whilst being there. Keep up the great work - your videos are truly inspirational and eye opening.
I’m craving your countries strict rule of law and social order that much of America except a few states have abandoned. And now so many places are pure lawlessness and chaos.
Do you believe I could successfully visit and travel in Japan alone without knowing the language? I know only English (with a smattering of French and Spanish... no Asian languages).
Yes, you could！It's not like the US without English. People don't expect you to speak Japanese and we try to understand you, even though most of us don't speak English. And you can still find English signs at stations or whereever. I’m sure you will have a nice travel. It's a good country to travel alone.
![[Pt.2] 5 Japanese Philosophies to Improve Your Photography.](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/36Qmq4NWLJY/mqdefault.jpg)
![[Pt.2] 5 Japanese Philosophies to Improve Your Photography.](/img/tr.png)
Yukawaさんの映像は日本に住んでいる日本人の私も心打たれます メディア報道に疲れそうな日々を送る中、貴方の作品は時間がゆったりしてます。 気持ちを穏やかにしてくれてありがとう💐🍀
ありがとうございます。日本人の方からポジティブな意見をいただけると安心します。
It is so refreshing to see a young person willing to leave their home and live in another country. In my opinion, it changes your life for the better. I was born in the UK, and grew up in Canada. As soon as I graduated from university, my wife and I moved to Hong Kong. We lived there for eight years. We then moved to Singapore for two years, and finally Vietnam for a year. My work sent me all over the indoor/asia-pacific region and I spent a lot of time in many countries including Japan. Each Asian city was unique in its people, culture, and cuisine. I loved Japan and found two sides to their people, the reserved and respectful daily face put forward for work and school; but also the fun loving, talkative, almost mischievous side of those Japanese I became friends with. Coming back to Canada and eventually moving to the United States made me appreciate how privileged we are and deeply aware I had become of the different kinds of struggles each country’s peoples face. It made me a much more tolerant person. I think all young people should strive to find a way to live in a country foreign to their own, you won’t regret it.
Wow thanks！
Your words help me a lot.
I’m so glad my video reached to someone like you.
That was not a video--it is a film. Really interesting, informing and beautifully captured. I'm so impressed with your introspection and ability to communicate those perspectives.
Thank you very much!
I very much appreciate your videos. They are earnest, thoughtful, intelligent, and modest at the same time. They are also able to convey many things, simple or more complex that I find useful for my photography. Being European, I am very sensitve to what you say, because we share a history as long as yours, and as complex, with many influences, and with the development of a specific culture-philosophy. I wouldn't be so bold to pretend that I know Japanese culture, and philosophy, but, to someone from the old world, many things I am able to grasp.
I very much appreciated your various videos on the parallel between japanese traditional notions and how to carry them into one's photography. Please do continue your work, it is I'm sure, hugely appreciated by many.
Thank you for this. I am Cuban born, raised in Miami, In a very Cuban home where we had to speak Spanish and lived in a very Cuban way. For example, we ate rice with everything, even with spaghetti and meatballs; this ended when my sister and I were teenagers and finally stopped eating the rice served on the side with the spaghetti and meatballs.
I moved to San Francisco in 1994, when I was 40, and then moved to Davis, CA, where I live now, in 2001.
I have not gone back to Cuba, nor will I ever, but I do go back home, to South Florida, often. Anyway, learning and living how people here in California see me, as a "Miami Cuban" and/or as a Cuban (especially since, to most people, I don't look Cuban) has been enlightening and frustrating, and shaped my academic work and PhD thesis. Often I am not only seen as "exotic" because I am Cuban but I am also seen as "exotic" and as a right wing extremist because of Florida's politics and because many of my fellow Cubans in the US are right wing. And when I go back home, when I visit in South Florida, some of my relatives and friends think I am a left wing "communist" because I live in California. Oh well.
About photography, when I am back in South Florida, I always appreciate my family and few remaining friends more and more, which is why I mostly photograph them, even though out here in California and elsewhere I visit in the US I mostly do street and architecture/urban geometry photography. Somehow, back home, my attention is on those I love, though this year I plan to do some photo-exploring in Miami and South Beach.
And yes, to your closing remark, everywhere I go, I am Cuban.
So, I understand completely how you feel and so enjoyed this video on a very personal level, though I always enjoy your posts. Thank you so very much for sharing so generously of yourself.
Thank you for watching my video and sharing your story.
I’m so glad my video could reach to someone like you.
I would love to see your photos of your hometown in future.
Thanks again.
More like a short film. Very well done!The messaging is clear, heartfelt and sincere. It stirs the heart & emotion. Bravo! P/s Always have an enjoyable & memorable trip to Japan.
Bravo! Very deep thoughts and poetic images. I’m going to Japan in June for the first time. Can’t wait. Your country has always been the most fascinating to me. Finally I have the occasion to see it with my own eyes. I’m so happy. Keep up the good work. You have interesting things to say and you do it super well 👌🏻✌🏻. Greetings from Italy
Fantastic film and excellent story
I like your cinemaphotography. I also enjoy seeing your photos via Instagram.
Thank you for your support！
very beautifully made and illustrates well the experiences of travel, culture, and ones personal identity.
Thank you！
Love this video. Love Japan. Perfect description ❤
Thanks！
Greetings from Paris 👋 I'm new to your channel and am really enjoying your videos on Japanese philosophies & culture in parallel with your photography 🫶 ✨
Well said. Very interesting and informative perspective. Thanks
Thank you for watching！
You are incredibly talented, this is a wonderful film. Thank you for sharing your talents. Arigato gozaimasu.
Toshiki, you have the best films on You Tube. I am so moved always by the content you present and your artistic eye!!! I look forward to all of your work!!! (Also, traveling throughout Japan is my dream)!!!
Absolutely wonderful video with such great imagery and pertinent commentary. Your insights on Japan really captivated me since I have lived in Montreal all my life but visited Tokyo last year and work with Japan-based colleagues. The scene of your reflection on the train was really beautiful.
Great video, and a well made point. I think the reason for Japan's popularity is the fact that most of the "cons" only really affect residents. As a tourist, poor economy and social pressures don't matter much - but you do get all of the "pros". The same could be said for many places though. I have lived in several different countries and every time the experience has basically been "It's a great place to visit, but living there is not so fun".
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
I think one of the biggest appeals (at least to westerners) is the fact that Japan is so different, in so many ways. It has essentially been isolated for most of it's history and has evolved without outside influence. The culture and beliefs that evolved are deep rooted and lead to a completely different mindset in Japanese people, which manifests itself in other ways throughout Japanese society. You don't just do things differently, you think differently, and feel differently.
For people who live in a society where everyone is looking out for themselves and trying to get ahead by any means, it's refreshing and inspiring to see that at least in one part of the world, people value kindness and respect, and are trying to make things better for everyone.
This really hit home for me. As someone who travels back and forth from the US to Japan while living in both countries, this really helps with the perspective struggle that I have. Many things I thought about put into motion and how it affects my photography. I struggle with my photography in Japan at times and I can relate with this perspective. Thank you for sharing this with the world 👏
Thanks！
So glad someone like you could relate to my video.🙏
Thank you for creating this beautiful story.
Thanks！
Thank you for a retrospective view of Japan. We're visiting Japan for the first time this May, so will be interesting to experience the culture, etc.
Have fun!
Thank you for sharing your insight and thoughts.
I'm moving to Japan later this year. I've never been there. I really appreciated this video. Thank you.
Hope you gonna have a great life there！
I just watched three videos from you and i absolutely love what you do in your videos. It’s the way you capture the light of things and somehow transmits this calming feeling. Really like it. And it’s definitely inspiring me to take more photos and learn more about photography.
Regarding Japan. It’s my dream trip that i will make sometime soon. I not only love the usual stuff people like about Japan but it’s the whole story of Japan and the culture that allures me. I really want to see it and experience it. After watching this video, I definitely want it more.
Thank you so much. You got a new subscriber 😊🫶🏻
Sayonara
I am half Japanese and am always torn between both of my home countries 😢 Japan is so beautiful and the spirit of the vibe there is what hooks so many people to it
Such a fresh perspective 🎉🎉🎉
A wonderful film - thank you.
Thank you for watching！
Amazing, thank you! I can really relate to this video. Weirdly enough, I always thought Switzerland and Japan are very similar, even tho might appear very different at first. I am from Switzerland and moved in New Jersey, I clearly see my country with new eyes since I left. It has always been a dream of mine to go to Japan, I might go this year for the first time. Looking forward for it. Thank you for your video, words are amazing, and the direction of photography is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you！
Your channel is so refreshing, soothing, unique in these super obnoxious, stupid dance everywhere, "slay" tiktokers times. I want to visit Japan badly
Beautifully shot video. I was in Osaka and Kyoto in November and December and visited many of the places in your video. This was my first time in Japan since 2019 (I used to visit every year but the regular trips ended in 2020...) Beautiful country, fascinating history and culture and, in my experience, some of the most friendly and welcoming people I've ever met. Can't wait to go back
Thanks！
Hope you can go back soon！
Thank you for posting. Very informative and well done. I like your style. I now live in Japan (from Chicago) and am enjoying your country. The past 41 years I worked for Japanese companies and Japan has been like a 2nd home. Yes, my wife is Japanese. I want to visit Osaka as it is sister city with Chicago.
Wow that's nice! I've been to Chicago and I felt like a home. And I'm sure you will like Osaka if you are from Chicago. I'm gonna go there next month too and make a video!
Very enjoyable video! It is an interesting idea of seeing your own culture, but after being subjected to another culture. This is also a feeling I am wanting to experience in some travels I will do soon.
I hope you are enjoying your stay here in Montreal. I would be very interested in hearing what you think of photography in Montreal/Quebec. That could be a very interesting video topic. From my point of view, I always felt like the people here in this province, do not really appreciate being photographed. Especially the more elder generation. What are your thoughts and experiences here (in Montreal)?
Radium onsen! My favourite bath house in Osaka. Used to go there every weekend, and was usually the only non-japanese person there. I miss it so much
Your approach to photography and life is inspiring. Your home country is impressive in positive as well as in negative ways. I think this a universal human condition. I believe that achievements such as culture is ever-changing and must be interpreted through the individual, the good perservered and the bad things rejected. This is a tough task, as many of these are considered traditions and customary. Photography is an excellent way to observe these developments and draw conclusion on a personal level.
all my creative tools come from Japan, my camera, my digital piano :)
Thanks for this interesting video, I hope to visit Japan one day … maybe go to Hokkaido and see some of the landscapes captured by Michael Kenna. 📷🇯🇵🇨🇦🙂 PS: Can you ever remember experiencing freezing rain in Japan like we’re having in Montreal today?
Hikkaido is really beautiful.
I’ve never experienced that in my hometown, but maybe in Hokkaido😅
love the script :)
Thanks！
Merci :)
New to your channel so while you may have explained in a past video....curious as to why you are Montreal based and how long you have been there.
I have been to Japan twice one wewk each time in conjunction with work and just had my cellphone with me so I was not experiencing Japan as "a photographer" at the time....
The ubiquitous vending machines, Itsukushima Shrine, the train rides...some things to photograph if the opportunity presents itself some day in the future.
Originally from the US but have been living in Europe about half my life. So I understand some of the experiences and feels while during trips "home..."
I left my home country when I was young, and became a photographer in NY. All I dream about is when I can go back one day and exercise my eye. I do believe that subconsciously, that is where I learned to “see.” Your videos always resonate with me, thanks for sharing.
Thanks！
I lived in Kobe in 1991 for three months and loved my time there. Japan is certainly not without its problems - as you said, every country has problems. My home country, USA, certainly does.
As for photography, I feel that in the USA many people view photography and photographers generally suspiciously as if the photographer wants to do something harmful when the intention is just trying to capture moments in time and the subjects themselves are not important. Even in public places, many times the response may be “why did you take my picture and what do you intend to do with it?” Perhaps some of this is due to social media and the fact that a photograph can be taken and shown to millions within minutes. Maybe you feel this more in Canada than in Japan as well?
Japan is the last beacon for hope. As an Australian, who has lived in NYC and Toronto. Japan has always been a place of pure peace and respect, more so than any other countries I have experienced. When I say beacon for hope, I truely mean that. The history and nationalism is what truly sets it apart, and I hope Japanese people appreciate this. High trust societies are few, and what Japan has to offer, it's incredible to see and feel.
I visit Tokyo from the USA almost weekly and have been for years. I tell people to put it top on bucket/vacation list and go immediately. I also tell them Japan culture is how it should be done. Period. Dot.
So glad you enjoyed my home country.
I live near Montreal :)
i'd love to go there if flights weren't 2k eur
Another brilliant video, especially with your perspective of your country. 🤌🏽 (btw I visited Japan last October and fell in love. I didn’t have any expectations but when I stepped into Shibuya I was gobsmacked. Blown away. So much happening yet, I could take everything in. Then beautiful Kyoto. I fell in love with the culture, how everyone and everything has a place, there’s no chaos. It’s orderly. Of course food and anime too. I cannot wait to visit again in 2026.) Japan was a life changing experience for me and it transcended into my film photography whilst being there. Keep up the great work - your videos are truly inspirational and eye opening.
Thank you!
So glad you liked our country!
I’m craving your countries strict rule of law and social order that much of America except a few states have abandoned. And now so many places are pure lawlessness and chaos.
I hope you mean the strict rules of English grammar because you need order with your lawless writing.
@@franciscomoreno7388 I think the word Nazi guard of RUclips understood perfectly.
Do you believe I could successfully visit and travel in Japan alone without knowing the language? I know only English (with a smattering of French and Spanish... no Asian languages).
Yes, you could！It's not like the US without English. People don't expect you to speak Japanese and we try to understand you, even though most of us don't speak English. And you can still find English signs at stations or whereever. I’m sure you will have a nice travel. It's a good country to travel alone.
Why do you leave japan? Would never do it if this was my country.
Home is where the heart is. Japan is a great place the visit but can also feel sterile.
သူငယ်ချင်း၊ ဂုဏ်ယူပါတယ်၊