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You may ask the whereabouts of the photograph of the woman we met (see yesterday's post). Read on...

She was happy to meet the first foreigner in her life. Such a nice person, and a handsome one too! And she and the lovely Yoshiko spoke as if they had known each other all their lives. And there was cake and tea of course.

Then, when I thought it was time to make my Grand Finale, I took my equipment out of the car and started setting up the camera in her kitchen. Her kitchen was simply beautiful and had only one little window that cast a beam of light right over her kitchen table. What a great picture this would make.

And there she was, sitting on her porch and not moving one inch!

And with the sweetest face the softest voice and the biggest smile she told me that today was maybe not such a good day to make the picture! Maybe next time was better, yes. In fact I had to come back another time and then we would make the picture. Wasn't that a good idea? Just come and sit next to me on the porch and let's talk a little more and have another cup of tea, because I am so happy that you came by.

And so we did. And we had another cup of tea and we talked a bit longer and after a while we left without taking the picture.

And I didn't feel sorry. I had seen one of the most beautiful pictures I ever could have made in Japan, and I didn't shoot it, and it felt so good! I had made my last Domestic Landscape in Japan and I felt completely happy about it. What a great experience it was and how lucky I am.

[Click here to move on to the next article in the next series: Spain.]