Making Sense of 10 Photos From Japan

This is a set of photos from Kyoto and Osaka. I want to use the path as the main symbol. I took pictures at different places and put them together to make one long journey. The journey goes from the entrance of Fushimi Inari, to Arashiyama, to the slide at Universal Studios Osaka, to a busy market, and then to Tsutenkaku Tower.

My idea is simple. A person (that's me in the video) walks into the entrance of Fushimi Inari and enters a mysterious world. Kyoto feels mysterious to me. It is old and quiet and full of forests and shrines. It feels a little like Alice falling into the rabbit hole. I walk along the red torii gates and move into the countryside of Arashiyama. The mood changes from a dark, quiet night to a fresh, green morning. I used several shots from the same spot to show the movement of the person walking through and losing herself.

Then suddenly I enter the Hello Kitty slide. This mood is totally different from before. It is bright and fun. It's a sudden jump as well as a happy one.

After that, I go into a market full of life and noise, and I see Tsutenkaku switch between night and day. Everything feels busy, almost like a dream. The music I used is "Blue Apple" by Japanese singer Kakihara Akemi. It makes the video feel more like a strange or dreamy walk.

I made this because it was my first trip to Japan. At that time, things between China and Japan were not as tense as now, so the whole trip felt happy and light. Moving from old Kyoto to modern Osaka also made me feel far away from home, like I was in another world.

Besides, there is another reason. This journey feels like me looking for my mom. After that trip, she became very busy. We haven't traveled together in almost two years. I miss those days a lot, like drinking matcha with her in Okochi Sanso Garden in Arashiyama, or eating beef rice in Osaka. Making this video feels like I am searching for her and for that memory again.