Takumi Yoshimura / Member of the Regional Development Cooperation Corps and of the Yakushima International Photography Festival Committee

As a member of the Regional Development Cooperation Corps, Mr. Takumi Yoshimura began his life on the island in the summer of 2018. He is in charge of a project for the efficient use of fields that have been abandoned and are no longer cultivated. Takumi-san is now interviewing farmers and others to determine which crops will be best for commercialization and distribution.

Photography provided the initial connection with Yakushima
Takumi-san enjoys another connection to the island in his capacity as a photographer. In September, 2018, his photographs were on display at a Yakushima Photography Festival Exhibit in Arles, France.

The Yakushima Photography Festival is a three-day event with exhibits and workshops that bring together and encourage greater interaction among photographers, islanders and other participants. In 2018, the festival was held on the island for the third time, from November 3rd thru the 5th.

Takumi-san was drawn to Yakushima’s people and its nature when he participated in the festival a few years ago and he decided to quit his job of five years with a gardening company and to apply for a job in Yakushima as a member of the Regional Development Cooperation Corps.

While studying potential uses for fallow farmland and sharing information about life on the island on SNS, Takumi-san also attended an annual national summit for the Regional Development Cooperation Corps together with two other members also stationed on Yakushima. Here on the island on a 3-year contract, his job is highly varied.

Through photography and agriculture, Takumi-san is broadcasting words and images that introduce the island’s local charms. His work has just begun.

◆Regional Development Cooperation Corps
https://www.facebook.com/%E5%B1%8B%E4%B9%85%E5%B3%B6%E7%94%BA%E5%9C%B0%E5%9F%9F%E3%81%8A%E3%81%93%E3%81%97%E5%8D%94%E5%8A%9B%E9%9A%8A-145370406258663/

◆Yakushima Photography Festival
http://ypf.photos