words and photography by Julia Sara Noëlle
“Tanekura, 種倉, Hida Mountains, the last stop on my six-week journey through Japan. In this village, consisting of fourteen people in total, I was working at a traditional Inn.
Months before entering this place I had never thought about going to Japan this soon. It was a dream I’ve kept for years. Overwhelmed by the decision to go there I had convinced myself that I needed to make groundbreaking works. While traveling this expectation weighed heavily on me. I felt guilty for not touching my camera several days and after that I came to the realization that nothing will be groundbreaking if it’s not coming from within.
When taking this series it was six in the morning, and the sun just started to shed light on the mountains surrounding the hut. My work always starts with the light; the light that makes the leaves twinkle, the light that created a hypnotizing shadow of trees, and the light that makes the room feel warm. And within this creation of light I had found again the courage to create.”
