Born in Burma (now Myanmar) and raised in Tokyo. Due to the transfer of his father, a diplomat, lived in Ottawa, Canada and London as a boy. Graduated from Faculty of Letters I, Waseda University. After joining the Chunichi Shimbun newspaper as a reporter, became a photographer there and then was employed in the Tokyo Shimbun newspaper's photography department, where he photographed and covered the Afghan conflict. Has been freelancing since 2005, both photographing and writing articles. Started owning dogs around that time, photographing dogs is one of his specialties. Many of his photographs and articles have been published in dog magazines. In 2011, moved with his dog to the foot of Mt. Yatsugatake in Nagano Prefecture and settled at the foot of Mt. Asama in the same prefecture in 2022. His life's work is the bond between people and animals through photographing and interviewing Eye Mates and their partners. Is a regular member of the Japan Professional Photographers Society (JPS).
Main media for photography and writing, publications and photo exhibitions
- Serialized “Dog Snapshot” photo essay for WAN (Midori-shobo)
- Published “Diary of a Retired Dog” photo essay in Aiken no Tomo (Seibundo Shinkosha)
- Serialized “Diary of a Retired Dog” on Vanguard International Foods website
- Serialized “Dog Snapshot R” photo essay on Pochi’s website photo essays
- Published “A Journey on Foot Across Japan” photo essay in the Japanese edition of Newsweek
- Berlin + Tokyo photograph collection (jovis)
- Berlin + Tokyo photograph exhibition at the Japanese-German Center Berlin
- Do you know what an Eye Mate’ guide dog is? panel exhibition, Coconeri Hall
Dogs that have been taken in by service families after retiring from the Eye Mate (guide dogs for the blind and visually impaired) program are called retired dogs. Marco, the main character of this photo exhibition, is one such retired dog. Marco finished his role as an Eye Mate at the age of 10 and was a family dog in our home from September 2019 until his death in October 2023. The moment I saw Marco's kind eyes at our first meeting, as a photographer, I could not stop releasing the shutter. Since then, I have taken pictures of Marco every day for the past four years as if I were taking a photo diary. This exhibition is the culmination of these photos.
Late in his days as a retired dog, Marco lost one of his legs due to illness. Nevertheless, with miraculous vitality, he ran around the plateau in Shinshu, where our house is located, on three legs. He was an unfathomably kind and strong dog. The love that Marco showed to my wife and I was a broad and universal love.
Eye Mate is the name for guide dogs from the Eye Mate Association, the oldest and most experienced of the 11 guide dog training organizations in Japan. The word pronounced ‘ai’ in Japanese has three meanings: I, eye and love; mate means companion. As both eyes and a loving companion, the Eye Mate is a source of comfort for the blind and visually impaired who use them. Marco was an Eye Mate himself, giving such love without distinction to us and to the people and dogs he met on his walks. Therefore, I strongly wanted to share this “Diary of a Retired Dog” with you, sharing this love rather than just a story of my dog.
Prior to this exhibition, the “Diary of a Retired Dog” was awarded the Mainichi Shogakusei Shimbun Award at the 5th Japan Photo and Picture Book Awards by Ozora Publishing. I am very happy and proud that Marco's way of life has been recognized. A video of my award-winning work is also being shown at the event; so, please be sure to check it out as well.
Kosuke Uchimura