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Misao, The Big Mama And Fukumaru The Cat Goodbye Hello

by Miyoko Ihara

Photographs: Miyoko Ihara

Text: Miyoko Ihara

Publisher: Little More

86 pages

Year: 2013

ISBN: 978-4-89815-367-3

Comments: Hardcover, color and black and white illustrations, language: engl/jap, 14 x 23 cm

The big seller 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat' with sales exceeding 70,000 copies has it's the long-waited second chapter is coming out!

The previous story of 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat'.
Day to day life of Grandmother Misao and her cat Fukumaru started like this.

The first work of Miyoko Ihara 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat' (published by Little More) released in the autumn of 2011 captured people's heart and mind not only in Japan but also in many other countries and has become a big success selling 70,000 copies so far.

Over the 14 years from her schooldays to the present, the photographer Ihara has been taking photos of her grandmother. Her previous work 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat' consists of the most recent few years of photos. Now, this new photographic collection which will be her second photo book dating back before her previous her work shows the opening story and everyday life of the past days of Grandmother and Fukumaru the cat.

- - - - -
One day during the hot summer, the husband of grandmother Misao passed away after 54 years of marriage. Although Misao experienced a great grief at his loss, she quietly accepted his death without tears. Ihara says her grandmother faced it naturally as though she was gazing at a flower which blooms and falls at different seasons of the year. Since that time, taking photos of her grandmother has gradually become Ihara’s way of life.

Soon after, a stray cat gave birth to kittens. Grandmother closely followed the progress of those kittens. Then she decided to keep the lonely cat Fukumaru whose siblings died one after another. Fukumaru followed Grandmother as she was working in the field, doing the laundry, and cooking in the ….Fukumaru is always very close to her every day.

Even if you lose something very precious, even if a storm comes, or maybe your happiness overflows, those days and those moments will never come again. My grandmother lives every day of her life. If you can remain steady and patient, everything will be alright. Tomorrow must be a good day.
- - - - -

Miyoko Ihara
Born in 1981. Graduated from the Nippon Photography Institute, Press Photography Course in 2002. Studied under Kenji Higuchi. Focusing on the themes of Japanese climate and culture, including the people, the sea, the landscape and traditional female divers. Ihara published 'Misao to Fukumaru (Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat)' in 2011 (by Little More). Her works are in the possession of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts.

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look inside

Misao, The Big Mama And Fukumaru The Cat Goodbye Hello

by Miyoko Ihara

Photographs: Miyoko Ihara

Text: Miyoko Ihara

Publisher: Little More

86 pages

Year: 2013

ISBN: 978-4-89815-367-3

Comments: Hardcover, color and black and white illustrations, language: engl/jap, 14 x 23 cm

The big seller 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat' with sales exceeding 70,000 copies has it's the long-waited second chapter is coming out!

The previous story of 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat'.
Day to day life of Grandmother Misao and her cat Fukumaru started like this.

The first work of Miyoko Ihara 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat' (published by Little More) released in the autumn of 2011 captured people's heart and mind not only in Japan but also in many other countries and has become a big success selling 70,000 copies so far.

Over the 14 years from her schooldays to the present, the photographer Ihara has been taking photos of her grandmother. Her previous work 'Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat' consists of the most recent few years of photos. Now, this new photographic collection which will be her second photo book dating back before her previous her work shows the opening story and everyday life of the past days of Grandmother and Fukumaru the cat.

- - - - -
One day during the hot summer, the husband of grandmother Misao passed away after 54 years of marriage. Although Misao experienced a great grief at his loss, she quietly accepted his death without tears. Ihara says her grandmother faced it naturally as though she was gazing at a flower which blooms and falls at different seasons of the year. Since that time, taking photos of her grandmother has gradually become Ihara’s way of life.

Soon after, a stray cat gave birth to kittens. Grandmother closely followed the progress of those kittens. Then she decided to keep the lonely cat Fukumaru whose siblings died one after another. Fukumaru followed Grandmother as she was working in the field, doing the laundry, and cooking in the ….Fukumaru is always very close to her every day.

Even if you lose something very precious, even if a storm comes, or maybe your happiness overflows, those days and those moments will never come again. My grandmother lives every day of her life. If you can remain steady and patient, everything will be alright. Tomorrow must be a good day.
- - - - -

Miyoko Ihara
Born in 1981. Graduated from the Nippon Photography Institute, Press Photography Course in 2002. Studied under Kenji Higuchi. Focusing on the themes of Japanese climate and culture, including the people, the sea, the landscape and traditional female divers. Ihara published 'Misao to Fukumaru (Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat)' in 2011 (by Little More). Her works are in the possession of the Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts.

More books by Miyoko Ihara