Documentary Storytelling for Rural Japan

My story in Japan really began with a big, uncertain move to Kyushu in 2018. Living in a foreign land always carries that initial feeling of being totally lost, but I learned that feeling became the key that actually opened the door to a completely new world. That path eventually led me to an abandoned house, our akiya, in Kochi, where I started the messy, beautiful process of renovation and, more importantly, began putting down true roots in a rural community.

When I released my first video documenting that journey, the response was overwhelming—it went far beyond my imagination, hitting over 3 million views.

What viewers responded to wasn’t the famous landmarks or the standard tourist stops. It was the “lives of the people” in the Japanese countryside. I realized you were captivated by the sight of hands plowing fields, the genuine laughter in a local kitchen, and the neighbors gathering to prepare for a festival. These images capture the powerful warmth and community spirit that first moved me.

As someone from Canada, this “culture of mutual support” felt incredibly fresh and became the thing I wanted to document most. Now, I want to take that feeling, that sense of connection, and share it with a global audience.

What I aim to convey through my camera are the real stories of people rooted in Japan’s regions. These are the truly human moments and nuances—the things you would simply never encounter through regular tourism. My goal is to create videos where, through the footage, you feel like you’ve become a part of the community, too. From that foundation, we can weave new stories that connect this amazing land, its people, and the world into the future.