Sometimes you just have to wait patiently for a wish to come true. For me, it was this trip to Tibet, to step into the unexplored region of Asia. Captivated by the kindness of Tibetans, surprised by the Chinese medicine which represents the Chinese culture, and absolutely fascinated by the unchanging traditions being passed on for thousands of years, the trip in fact turned out to be more than I expected.
There was a cogent reason that the Tibet Photography Association disagreed with me to proceed with this plan, a trip to Tibet for the second time.
the high mountain areas in winter wither the trees so I will suffer mortally from oxygen deficiency. Since abandoning the plan was never an option for me, I asked Mr. Juko, a Tibet born newspaper reporter for guide and support, and decided to visit his home country at the altitude of 5,200m.
Departing from Narita Airport, the trip began on December 26th, 2003, and from the 27th through January 7th, I was able to capture the events at temples and lives of nomads, and the everyday life of the unexplored Tibet.
In July 2007, I alighted at Lhasa Airport for the first time in four years ready for my last visit to Tibet. The main destination on this visit was to west Tibet, an area known as “the ultimate unexplored region,” and the border area of China, India and Nepal.
I have put together a record of photographs I risked my life to take along my route to a vast, eternal land that holds the secrets of “nature,” “civilization,” and “religion.”