​​​​​公 僕 | Public Servant  (2001)​

​​公僕とは公務員のことで、国民の利益に基づいた組織の意志を具現化するために働いている。「組織人」ゆえに彼らの個は常にベールの中にある。私は「誰かが」ではなく、「誰が」が知りたかった。

​A public servant works to give concrete form to the will of an organization whose purpose is to serve the interests of the people. As members of an organization, their individual identities are always veiled. I wanted to know not just that someone was involved, but who it was.

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脳 死 | Brain Death（1991）

日本は脳幹を含む脳全体の機能が失われた状態を「脳死」とした。「脳死は人の死なのか」。1991年の取材当時、救命救急の現場は揺れていた。搬送された患者が脳死状態に陥ることがあるからだ。​「脳死」は移植医療とも密接に関係している。脳死が「人の死」であるなら移植のために心臓を摘出することも可能になる。​「まずは脳死という状態をきちんと知り、その上で議論を深めてほしい」。現場の医師は訴えた。​

In Japan, “brain death” was defined as the loss of all brain functions, including those of the brainstem. “Is brain death the same as the death of a person?” When I was reporting on emergency medical care in 1991, this question was a matter of serious debate on the front lines. Patients brought in for emergency treatment could end up in a state of brain death. Brain death is also closely linked to organ transplantation. If brain death is regarded as the death of a person, it becomes possible to remove the heart for transplantation. “First, I want people to understand what brain death actually is. Only then can we deepen the discussion.” This was the plea of a physician working on the front lines.

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臓器移植 | Organ Transplantation（1992）

病などで機能しなくなった臓器を他者の臓器に交換することで命をつなぐ医療がある。「臓器移植」だ。 移植に使用されるのは、脳死状態を含めた死者の臓器や健康な人にメスを入れて部分的に摘出した臓器。 臓器を商品として売買する現実があるとも耳にするが、「臓器移植」は臓器の提供者の善意が前提の医療である。提供者が我が身を切り分け与える臓器はパーツではなく「願い」なのだと私には思えた。

There is a form of medicine that sustains life by replacing organs that have ceased to function due to illness or other causes with organs from another person. It is called organ transplantation. The organs used for transplantation come either from deceased donors, including those declared brain-dead, or from healthy living donors who undergo surgery to donate part of an organ. We sometimes hear of organs being bought and sold as commodities. Yet organ transplantation is founded on the goodwill of those who donate their organs. To me, the organs donors give from their own bodies are not mere body parts, but wishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

命のボーダーライン | Borderline of Life（1994）

救命救急センターの現場には「生」と「死」のボーダーラインがある。たとえ心停止していても蘇生の可能性があれば

医師は躊躇なく患者の胸を開き、じかに心臓を手で揉むことで鼓動の再開を促す。「蘇生マシーンになる」。現場の言葉だ。ここでは医師が蘇生処置をやめた瞬間に患者の「死亡」が確定されることがある。​

In emergency and critical care, there is a borderline between life and death. Even when a patient's heart has stopped, if there is still a chance of resuscitation, doctors will open the patient's chest without hesitation and massage the heart directly by hand in an attempt to restart its beating. “To become a resuscitation machine.”

These are the words used by those on the front lines. Here, a patient may be declared dead the moment doctors stop resuscitation efforts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

命の契約 | Contract of Life​（1993-2013）

自衛隊に入隊する者は「宣誓書」に署名する。宣誓書の後半にはこうある。「事に臨んでは危険を顧みず　身をもって責務の完遂に努め　もって国民の負託にこたえることを誓います」。命令遂行に命をささげる覚悟を求められるのが自衛官の仕事なのだ。​

Those who join the Japan Self-Defense Forces sign an oath of service. The latter half of the oath reads: “When faced with challenges, I swear to disregard danger, devote myself wholeheartedly to fulfilling my duties, and thereby live up to the trust placed in me by the people.” Members of the Self-Defense Forces are expected to be prepared to lay down their lives in carrying out their orders.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

​政治家の肖像がある風景 |  Landscapes with Politicians' Portraits​（2009）

風土は人を育むと言う。政治家も例外ではない。私は何気ない風景にある「政治家」たちを写真に収めながら、自分の日本地図を創るがごとく旅を続けた。

It is said that the land and its culture shape the people who grow up there. Politicians are no exception. As I traveled across Japan, photographing political posters within their surrounding landscapes, I continued my journey as if creating my own map of the country.

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100の名前 | One Hundred Names（2009）

日本を代表する工場地帯の人工島にたくさんの野良猫がいる。捨てられた飼い猫やその子孫たちだ。餌が満足になかったり病気が蔓延したりと環境は悪化する一方だったが猫は増え続けた。島で働く夫婦が見兼ねて支援を始めたのは猫が100匹を超えた頃だった。最初に夫婦は猫たちに名前を付けた。さばたん、ヨーダ、ぼさつ、しょんぼり、天然くん……。野良猫は名前を得たことで可視化され、はじめて「人間社会」に認知された。夫婦は言う。「今更いなかったことにはできませんよね」

There are many stray cats on an artificial island in one of Japan's major industrial zones. They are abandoned pets and their descendants. Despite worsening conditions, with food often scarce and disease spreading, the cats continued to multiply. When their numbers exceeded one hundred, a couple who worked on the island could no longer stand by and began helping them. The first thing they did was give the cats names. Sabatan, Yoda, Bosatsu, Shonbori, Tennens-kun...   With names, the stray cats became visible and wererecognized by human society for the first time. The couple says: “We can't just act as though they were never here, can we?”