Beyond the beautiful landscapes, lies the Earth's "present."

In an era of advancing climate change and environmental destruction, the relationship between our lives and nature is at a major turning point.

Nature photographer Yosuke Kashiwakura has not simply captured beauty,
but has etched into his photographs the challenges facing the Earth and the signs of change.

On this page, through Kashiwakura's works,
we offer an opportunity to re-examine the diverse expressions of nature and the current state of the environment behind them.

The Earth's "present moment" behind a beautiful landscape.

In an age of advancing climate change and environmental destruction, the relationship between our lives and nature is at a major turning point.

Nature photographer Yosuke Kashiwakura has engraved in his photographs not just mere beauty, but also the challenges the Earth faces and the signs of change.

On this page, through Kashiwakura's works, we offer an opportunity to re-examine the diverse expressions of nature and the current environmental situation behind them.

volume.6 Episode of Cape Toi

彼らの生活には、私たちが「飼育」という言葉でイメージするような手厚い保護はありません。人による管理をほとんど受けないまま、300年以上もの長い年月を過ごしてきた彼らは、日本の在来馬の中で唯一、野生に近い状態で生息し続けている稀有な存在です。

その歴史を紐解けば、江戸時代の元禄十年（西暦1697年）にまで遡ります。当時、この地を治めていた高鍋藩が、戦に用いる軍馬を育成するために都井岬に牧場を設けたことが物語のはじまりでした。そこは決して馬たちにとって楽園ではありませんでした。潮風にさらされた草は決して豊富ではなく、足腰を鍛えるにはあまりに険しい斜面がどこまでも続いています。

しかし、江戸という時代が終わりを告げ、文明がどれほど劇的な変化を遂げようとも、岬馬たちは過酷な自然環境に自らの身体を適応させ、今日まで生き抜いてきました。

誰に教わるでもなく、岬という厳しい舞台の上で「生きる」という役割を全うしてきたのです。その力強さは、効率や利便性を追い求めすぎてしまった私たち人間に、命が本来持っているはずの野生の輝きを思い出させてくれるような気がします。

Eventually, the sun set beyond the horizon, and as the surroundings were dyed a deep indigo, stars like scattered jewels began to twinkle in the sky. Relying on the light of my flashlight, I ventured deeper into the darkness and was fortunate enough to encounter a herd of horses.

To my surprise, the horses were still quietly grazing even after nightfall. The regular "crunch, crunch" sound of them tearing off grass, echoing in the darkness, created a soothing rhythm in the night's silence.

Then, one horse from the herd approached me with an unhesitating gait. Hesitantly, I reached out my hand towards the horse. Without rejecting my presence, the horse gently allowed me to touch its forehead. What I felt through my fingertips was the powerful pulse of life and warmth. The horse then turned and returned to its herd.

As I felt the cool breeze on my face, I watched the horses without tiring. I don't know how much time passed, but then I noticed something strange. I could no longer hear the sound of them grazing. The horses had stopped moving, standing perfectly still like statues. Curious, I approached them and heard the gentle, deep sound of their breathing. The horses had fallen asleep while standing. I was filled with an unspeakable sense of awe. Under the starlit sky, their silhouettes, sleeping while standing, were probably no different from how they appeared in the Edo period. No matter how much time passed or how much human activities changed, the wind on this cape, the starlight, and the horses' breathing continued to exist here as an unchanging and timeless story. In the darkness, listening to the horses' quiet breathing, I silently wished in my heart that this pure and beautiful scene would continue to exist unchanged for another 300 years into the future. If humans could choose to coexist with nature instead of destroying it, this miracle would surely be passed on to the next 300 years. I lay down on the grass with the horses, illuminated by the starlight. Countless stars twinkled in the sky.