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"I'm always delighted when I capture a relaxed, natural smile."
I remained at Mr. Otake's studio for 10 years, but when I married in 1987, I started working freelance. At the time, there were very few women photographers in Japan. Probably because of this, I was considered to be something of a pioneer, and was often interviewed and featured on TV. I suppose I was a bit of a novelty.
The Women's Liberation movement was at its peak in Japan, and the prevailing view among the movement's supporters was that women should be as strong and aggressive as men. But I think we are what we are -- you can't become a man by trying. This probably makes me seem unserious to some, but Mr. Otake once said to me, "Make the most of your femininity in your work." Anyway, not being a particularly competitive person, and preferring to work at my own pace, I believed that I could only be myself.
When I was assigned to take photographs for the front cover of the magazine "Zaikai" (Business World), the company presidents I met often told me that I sounded like a doctor. I suppose that's because I said such things as "Are you ready?" "Could you turn a little this way?" and "Here we go," as if I were taking X-ray photographs.
My basic aim is to capture people's natural expressions. To create a relaxed atmosphere, I gather information about subjects beforehand so that I can talk to them about their hobbies and other things that interest them. I even had a go at playing golf because it's so popular with the business executives I photograph. I try to keep the camera from intimidating my subject, and am always delighted when I capture a relaxed, natural smile.
The famous photographer Tadahiko Hayashi once came to one of my solo exhibitions, and while we were looking at the photos together, he turned to me and said, "I can see your presence in every image," which made me extremely happy.
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