TOKϴYO（常世）is an ancient Japanese concept of another world. It is believed to be the land of ancestral spirits, which served as a source of life and fertility.
Since an early age, I have been captivated by the sparkling allure of France. I eventually moved to Paris to work as a correspondent for a magazine. In 2009, I met my husband in London, and we relocated to Fukushima. Incidentally, it was just a year before the catastrophic events that occurred there.
I experienced two miscarriages in quick succession while I was there. I took my camera and ventured into the mountainous paths to feel closer to my lost children. The world I encountered was full of incredible landscapes and customs that made me feel as if I were daydreaming.
Mizuko, also known as "invisible children", was captured in photographs without any visible presence. I continued to take pictures, relying only on the signs of their existence.
Despite being in a pandemic lockdown, I found comfort in the fact that I was not alone. The experience made me more mindful of the passing of time and the fragility of life. I also found solace in the thought that people from different parts of the world were going through a similar situation, which gave the photographs a more profound significance.
When I was a little girl, my grandmother told me a folk tale that reminded me of my mother's lullabies.
This photographic work delves into the innermost self, revealing the unutterable emotions.
