KIDZOO2016

There is surprise, joy, familiarity and excitement, when children encounter animals. I couldn't help but point the camera at the children's face when they looked completely fascinated by the animal. Children feel that the animals in front of them are the same creatures on the same earth as themselves. They are companions who fully fulfill their body's secrets. Each of them - animals and humans - has siblings and ancestors and is amazed every day by new discoveries around us. The downright confusing energy of life always makes me tremble. I want to hold on to the miracle of astonishment of the two who are meeting now forever.

I don't think there is an even greater surprise and amazement for a person than when he first encounters another type of creature. "Why do you have such a body?", "What do you see with your eyes?", "How do you feel in the water?", "Is it trusting? Can you touch it for a moment”....

In zoos and aquariums we often see children in front of an enclosure or tank who think a lot about something that adults never know. Everything in the world is just a miracle for children. The next moment they may be distracted by the machine that sells their favorite hero's juice. But at the moment the kids are fascinated by the animal they meet for the first time. In this special moment, when they have become familiar with the animals, it becomes like a wave that spreads further inside and you feel the happiness of the child. When I see them in the camera and hold them in the photo, I look forward to the future of such children and I also remember the first encounter with animals in my childhood.

This moment of experiencing “children and animals” is the same in Japan and all over the world. KIDZOO is a series of photos that I made as an animal, zoo and aquarium photographer when traveling through zoos and aquariums around the world. This KIDZOO collection was not only exhibited in Japan, but in zoos and aquariums around the world. What the public can see in this photo collection is the excitement of such a day for children and for adults also the memories of their own childhood experiences.

Maybe the animals also think something about the children staring at them. But we will not be able to fathom that. However, I hope you will feel the mystery of life, the wonder of the encounter between humans and animals, the fun and joy of living while looking at the photos of the encounters between children and animals.