Otani Landscape  | 尾谷風景画

Miyuki Otani

Ushibuka was formed from a collection of villages, so it covers a large area. Growing up, Ms. Otani would take the bus for forty-five minutes to reach the downtown and go to her favorite shops. With today's roads, the bus trip only takes half as long. She chose to focus her story on one of her favorite stores, which has since been torn down and rebuilt as a house.

"My memory of Ushibuka is of a former stationary shop in the center of town. I would come into town, impatient and excited to buy new comics at that shop. It's a place I miss; a place where I was close with my friends and sisters and sometimes had fights with them as well."