From 2019 to 2022, during the most difficult years of the pandemic, I lived in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, in a small city called Shiojiri. Overshadowed by its more well-known neighbors, it is a typical crossroads town, existing for most people only on the way to somewhere else. Still, it has outgrown its namesake role as the last stop for salt merchants coming from the Japan sea. In the 20th century it became the most prolific winemaking region in Japan, and its vast lettuce and orchard fields stretch along the “salad” road and represent some of the best agricultural production in the country. Finally, and importantly for me, it has incredible access to some of the most beautiful mountains I have ever seen.
This photo collection is an homage to the city and a reminder to me of how fortunate I was to be sequestered there during these challenging years.
