Partners

Photographer Ryuichi Ishikawa has been following this couple since 2011. Ishikawa describes the first time he saw them as follows:

"They didn’t seem to be having a particularly good time: they were just walking, staring straight off into the distance. The midsummer sun had warmed the concrete; the heat drifted aimlessly. They were wearing a t-shirt and a tank top, faded and carelessly stained with sweat, dragons and carp peeking out from their bodies, their skin burned further by the sun. I nervously ventured to ask if I could photograph them. "Yeah, why not?" "Sure, that’s fine." Even as they conferred with each other, their gazes never faltered, fixed, without fail, straight ahead.

I finished taking photos and our conversation continued without incident; our eyes had only met for a few seconds at most. As we were about to part, I asked if I could possibly photograph their house as well. They lived nearby and had no other plans, so we went straight there. They continued to hold hands the whole way home."

Naokuni and Naoko are always together, whether they're at home or out for a quick shopping trip at the nearest convenience store. So much so that it almost feels like they'll never be apart. We also got to watch a bit of the video Ishikawa filmed. The two of them have hours of pillow talk before going to sleep. When Naoko on bed asked, "Let's listen to that song," he grabbed his phone while smoking a cigarette and placed the phone between them. Then Michael Jackson's 'We Are the World' started playing.