In 1990, I visited the Osezaki Sea with my boss at work, who asked me to join his diving trip. This was my starting point as an underwater photographer. The world of simple beauty, where fish and sea anemones were alive and moving right in front of my eyes, was so impressive that I immediately decided to make it the subject of my life. I immediately quit my job, got my diving license and became a diving instructor.

Osezaki Sea is an excellent location with a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji rising just above Suruga Bay - the deepest bay in Japan, where a variety of marine life grows thanks to the upwelling current that flows up from the deepest part of the sea when the seasonal winds blow, mixed with nutrients provided by the fertile mountains of the Izu Peninsula. For plankton, which I have been photographing for years, Osezaki Sea is one of the best places in the world with its natural abundance and suitable water conditions.

Plankton are fascinating and beautiful creatures. Their tiny existence symbolizes how precious life is. I wanted other people to see them as they are in the sea - that was my motivation to start photographing plankton underwater, which is quite a challenge. Most plankton are so small and their movements are difficult to predict. I have dedicated the last 25 years to presenting their tiny shapes, colors and textures to capture their vivid beauty.

It is difficult to encounter plankton at first, but I was able to gradually increase the probability of encountering them by reading the wind direction and the tide of the day. At night, the larval plankton approach the shore and transform into their next stage. After much trial and error, I have developed a lighting method that allows us to efficiently encounter such instances. I have registered the method - Black Water Dive® - and regularly hold events around the world on its use, allowing divers to experience a new world they have never seen before.

In the past I have produced technical picture books (see bibliography) and published new discoveries and knowledge in papers together with researchers of the respective field. Besides plankton, my expert photographs of crustaceans, squids and octopuses are highly appreciated by researchers.

Although I believed that scientific photography was the category for me, I began to think that I should share the preciousness and beauty of life with a wider audience through my work accumulated over the past 20 years. I had never participated in award competitions or held photo exhibitions, but in 2016, I participated in the 5th Nikkei National Geographic Photo Award for the first time. I was awarded the Grand Prix, which reaffirmed my belief that my photos should be seen by many more people. In the future, I would like to expand my presence by holding exhibitions and workshops, creating art prints, and publishing books worldwide.

The sponsor companies that will support my activities and always share values.

(in Japanese)