This steam locomotive runs along the Kamaishi Line in Iwate Prefecture. The lush rice paddies spread out around the village, with the mountains rising behind. I photographed the locomotive, running through that scenery, from a high angle. I was drawn by the steam whistle I heard in the distance, and a parent and child who had come to see the locomotive were also in the picture. After I took the picture, I felt a kind of nostalgia over the whistle sound, and the smell of smoke as the train passed, amid that tranquil scenery.

I was shocked by the quantity and diversity of wreckage left by the disaster. The scene made me grateful for the many people and the clever processing facilities that were sorting and processing the wreckage without waste. I was particularly amazed by the equipment that even cleans contaminated soil.

Onagawa was not washed away. It's being reborn as a new Onagawa! There are message banners on the Onagawa Station side. How many people drew support from those words? The area in front of Onagawa Station was designed so that the light of the year's first sunrise would shine into the center of the new district. The scenery gave the town's people a strong feeling of hope.

Ten years after that day, the morning was more tranquil than I could have imagined. In this photo, I caught a fishing boat together with Matsukawaura Bridge. Matsukawaura Port carries on trial operations despite harmful rumors. In this location, blessed with an abundant natural environment centered on Matsukawaura Park, which is numbered among the 100 Landscapes of Japan, reconstruction is making steady progress, step by step.

The sacred fire arrival ceremony was at risk of cancellation as wild winds blew. Undeterred, many spectators gathered at Matsushima Airbase, with hope and anticipation for the Reconstruction Olympics in their hearts. When the Blue Impulse planes flew above me, in addition to the presence of the sacred fire, a great cheer echoed around the venue. Their passion for the Olympics still burns fresh within me.

On the Hama Terrace area of Seapal Pier Onagawa, which continues from Onagawa Station to the sea, I got this picture of someone at work on a winter morning. This town has many delicious foods, like sanma (saury) and kaisendon (fresh fish rice bowl), and the people I met there welcomed me kindly. I like the place so much, I wanted to go again as soon as I got home.

Rikuzen Takata Matsubara is one of the finest beaches in Tohoku, with white sand and about 70,000 green pines flourishing along its 2km length. It has many memories for me, of holiday trips, visits on the way home from work, and dates. The reconstruction of the embankment is nearly complete, and pines are being planted towards a goal of 40,000 trees, to regenerate the Takata Matsubara. If, in the time of my grandchildren, the place could be restored to its previous form of a bathing beach with a pine forest, making it a date spot thronged with bathers, I think those who lost their lives might be happy. I would be too.

This pair of sakura trees on the broad highland are the last to blossom in Iwate. Tranquility, emotion, hope. This utopia welcomed me, together with people's lives.

My eye was drawn to the beautiful fall foliage vividly reflected in a floor that has been carefully maintained for about 180 years, from Meiji to Reiwa. The colorful foliage and the gentle light seen through the window made me forget the time in a dreamy moment.

Tonohetsuri is a scenic spot with a succession of odd rock formations. They were formed by a million years of erosion and weathering, and they survived the earthquake. In fall, its natural sculptural beauty becomes even more lovely.

This is the Benzaiten Hall within Chusonji Temple, a World Heritage Site. It's a beautiful place, with reflections in the pool, and it's illuminated at night in the fall foliage season. I love the reflections of the fall foliage and the morning sun, so I go there early in the morning. That was a fiercely cold morning. Just as I reached the area, the slanting light of the sun reached and caressed the water surface, creating a fantastic image. It was only a moment, and I'm delighted to have caught the picture.

Tsurugajo Castle is a popular spot in Fukushima. In spring, in particular, it is adorned by sakura blossom, and I remember being moved by the beauty of the castle seen through the blossoms. There's a classic spot for photographing Tsurugajo Castle and the sakura, but on that day, I strolled around with my wife, looking for a scene a little different from the usual. The location I found at last was excellent, showing Tsurugajo Castle beautifully in a frame of sakura. For me, this photo of Tsurugajo Castle and the sakura is a precious one, filled with memories of time spent with my wife.

For work reasons, the last of the first three days of the New Year was my last chance to photograph the first sunrise. This year I chose a spot that represents the local area. It gives a view of the big torii gate, the city, and the sea. Just when I'd finished taking pictures and was about to head home, some birds flew by. Thinking they would provide a good accent, I hurriedly took another picture.