japan culture

As the Fuka project continued to grow, I slowly began to realize that certain themes kept returning to my mind. One of them was the fox.

In Japanese folklore, foxes have a special place. They can be mysterious, playful, wise, or even supernatural. During the earliest stages of the project, small references to foxes occasionally appeared in images and ideas, but they were little more than hints. At the time, I had not yet decided what role they would play in the story.

Eventually, however, I understood that the theme of the kitsune was something I wanted to explore.

**Originally posted on Instagram → [view post]**

The first significant encounter between Fuka and a fox became an important moment, not only within the narrative but also in my understanding of the project itself. Looking back, it feels like one of the first signs that the story wanted to move beyond simple everyday scenes and toward something deeper and more mysterious. At the time, neither the plot nor the mythology behind the project had been fully developed. Yet that encounter created questions, emotions, and possibilities that would influence future stories.

It also led to something else.

Fuka’s concern following the encounter gave me an opportunity to create one of the first genuinely warm moments between her and Tetsuya. Until then, his presence in the project was still relatively new, but this small interaction helped establish a connection between the two characters.

ちょっと考えすぎていたみたい。
新しい同僚が、少し笑わせてくれた。
こういう時間も、悪くない。

Fuka 🌸

Originally posted on Instagram → [view post]

The scene itself was simple, but it showed how even a small narrative event could serve multiple purposes: introducing a new theme, developing a character, and strengthening a relationship.

Sometimes an important creative realization does not arrive as a grand revelation.

Sometimes it arrives quietly, in the shape of a fox crossing the path of a young photographer.

As the first followers slowly began to arrive, I found myself asking a simple question: what story did I really want to tell?

At that stage, the Fuka project was still in its early days. Images were being published regularly, ideas were taking shape, and new characters were appearing. Yet the overall plot remained uncertain. I had several pieces of a puzzle, but I still didn’t know exactly what the final picture would look like.

Rather than forcing a direction, I decided to leave room for inspiration. Sometimes creative projects need time to grow naturally, and I hoped that sooner or later the right idea would arrive. Here is an example → [view post]

Even without a clear storyline, a few important pillars were already supporting the world of Fuka.

The first was Fuka herself. From the beginning, she was imagined as a young woman with a passion for photography, someone who enjoyed observing the world around her and capturing small moments through her camera. Photography was not simply a hobby; it was the lens through which she experienced life. Here is an example → [view post]

Originally posted on Instagram → [view post]

The second pillar was the friendship between Fuka, Kyoka, and Sayuri. The three characters quickly became the emotional center of the project. Their different personalities created opportunities for conversations, shared experiences, and future adventures.

Another important element was mystery. I knew that I wanted the story to contain unanswered questions and hidden truths. At the time, however, this idea was still evolving. I could feel that mystery would eventually become an important part of the narrative, but I had not yet discovered its final form.

Below is a small sequence of images related to the mystery: image 1, image 2 and image 3.

The fourth pillar was the connection with contemporary Japan. From the beginning, I wanted Fuka’s world to feel alive and connected to reality. Seasonal events, daily life, cultural traditions, and even sporting events taking place in modern Japan could become part of the narrative, helping to create a world that felt authentic and familiar.

As I continued exploring different possibilities, another piece was added to the puzzle.

A new character began appearing in some images: Tetsuya.

At first, his role was not fully defined. He was simply another presence within Fuka’s world. Over time, however, Tetsuya would become much more important. His arrival opened the door to new relationships, new emotions, and eventually a romantic dimension that would add another layer to the story.

The destination was still unclear, but the foundations were slowly taking shape.