Truth is stranger than fiction

LFI:They say life writes the best stories…
Shin Noguchi: I think you're right; because there are as many lives as there are people, and there is no theme or page limit to the unpredictable stories that continue to be written.

Where do you find your ‘stories’?
In the contact between my life and the lives of others. That is why I never proceed on a project with a theme. The theme only becomes visible after I put aside the ‘reason’ for clicking the shutter, and simply continue taking pictures for a certain period of time.

Do you find your motifs by chance?
I just listen to the voice of our society. People's lives are full of humanity – sometimes very sad, sometimes with unreasonable situations. The subjects tell me the meaning and value of life. To take a picture is to affirm the existence of people – the existence of human karma – and it's also an opportunity to affirm my own existence and accept it as it is.

To what extent is your photography linked to your home country, Japan?
Most of the pictures were taken in Japan, especially in Kamakura and Tokyo, where I divide my time. Kamakura is a very old-fashioned town, with a lot of old temples, the beautiful sea and mountains; as well, off course, as old people, children, and so many good and kind people. In Tokyo there are lots of people and cars; it’s the busiest city in Japan. I always find it easy to move freely between the modern and classical perspectives of this mixed environment.

How important to you is humour, the humorous angle, in your contemplation of the world?
Of course, I also think that capturing those extraordinary elements is important to attract the reader to the medium of photography; but my past experience, travelling to America and other Asian countries and listening to people talk about their everyday lives, has given me a bird's eye view of national identity. And this has led me to treat the constant/immutable elements, rather than the captivating elements, with particular respect.