Kamikura shrine, located on the mountainside of Mt. Chihogamine, is considered to be the place of the advent of Kumano Sansho Omiya. Gotobiki-iwa, which is the symbol of the God, can be seen clearly from urban area because the shrine is on the cliff at a height of 100 m above sea level. Oto Festival, held on Feb.6 every year, is famous as a spectacular fire festival where men and boys dressed in a white costume race down the flight of the stone steps holding flaming torches.
I am not in Japan, but for the past few days since the earthquake, tidal wave and nuclear reactor leaks, I have been getting the same question asked via email, neighbors, people in line at the grocery store, even my grandma:
Why all the suffering?
Though this question tends to always hang in the air like the invisible doom of radiation looming over Fukushima, it tends to come up over and over again whenever natural disasters rear their ugly and unavoidable heads. The amount of those who ask during a time of overwhelming hardship does not make it any more answerable than when the world is a generally more peaceful place and we can ignore the minor cataclysms which inevitably beset us from moment to moment. Those that say, “God.” or “Devil.” seem to be having as much trouble finding a good answer as the rest of us.
Still we ask.
My only answer is something that Kurt Vonnegut Jr. said while quoting his son, Mark Vonnegut, in his genius book, Timequake, which went something like, “We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.”
Whatever it is, giving is what gives it meaning. A creative way to give is via Flickr’s Charity Print Auction. So if you have a photo why not submit it and spread the word for a good cause?
Otherwise, DONATE SAFELY:
Photo Details: Kamikura shrine, located on the mountainside of Mt. Chihogamine, is considered to be the place of the advent of Kumano Sansho Omiya. Gotobiki-iwa, which is the symbol of the God, can be seen clearly from urban area because the shrine is on the cliff at a height of 100 m above sea level. Oto Festival, held on Feb.6 every year, is famous as a spectacular fire festival where men and boys dressed in a white costume race down the flight of the stone steps holding flaming torches.
I am a documentary and portrait photographer, specializing in a raw approach to shooting everything under the sun. Though I travel abroad often, I am currently based in the Pacific Northwest of the United States, and am available for assignments throughout North America and beyond.
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