Fukushima: Portraits of Life By Photographer Yuki Iwanami

Snow Country Stories Japan

In Episode 11 of Snow Country Stories Japan, I speak with Yuki Iwanami, a renowned photographer based in the snow country area of Aizu in Fukushima. Yuki’s photography explores the humanity of man-made and natural disasters such as war, trafficking and earthquakes. As such, his portfolio features his work in countries including Nepal, Pakistan, China, India and Cambodia along with his home country of Japan.

As of March 2011, Yuki was working as a photographer for The Yomiuri Shimbun - one of Japan’s five major newspapers – when the Great East Japan Earthquake struck. Yuki was assigned to travel to Fukushima to photograph the aftermath of the earthquake and consequent tsunami and nuclear meltdowns. That assignment required Yuki to regularly travel to Fukushima and over a period of years, he came to experience an affinity for Fukushima and the broader Tohoku region. Yuki and his family made the decision to relocate to the snow country area of Aizu, from where he continues to focus on aftermath of the triple disaster through multiple projects.
This episode is (in a sense) a follow-up to Episode 07 ‘Life After the Quake: Guiding, Cycling & the Essence of Japan’, in which I spoke to guide and writer Kevin Kato about topics including his experience of the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami and meltdowns – events that led him to relocate his family to Nagano and ultimately, write a book about that experience. Make sure to checkout Yuki’s website - www.yukiiwanami.com - through which you can view his portfolio of work both in Japan and abroad, and follow him on Instagram.
Snow Country Stories Japan is a bi-weekly podcast about life and travel in Japan's legendary 'yukiguni'. For more information about the show and your host, visit our website - www.snowcountrystories.com - and make sure to subscribe, rate and review the podcast and follow us on Instagram and Facebook.

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1. Episode Introduction (00:00:00)

2. Interview with Yuki Iwanami (00:06:57)

3. Interview Follow-up: Summary of Events in Fukushima & My Thoughts re: Yuki's Photography (00:23:00)

4. Episode Close (00:30:36)