Upon my return to Japan after years abroad, I felt a strong need to explore my Japanese identity.

I started searching for a feeling that only Japanese people understand. The meaning of ma, which represents time and space, differs depending on whether it is martial arts, music, or painting. Is there an expression of ma that is common to all? I investigated the roots of kanji to see if there is anything that can be seen by visualizing it. Before 1949, Chinese characters represented the moon in gates - moonlight shining through the gap between houses was expressing MA. Later, the Kanji changed from 閒 to 間, so the gap is formed when the sun enters the gate I used Fukuoka's buildings built after 1949 as subjects to record the meaning of ma. This work captures the sense of distance of the Japanese people, who value the relationship between people, and the mystery of ma, which cannot be seen by the naked eye.