桜の開花の早さを嘆きつつも、来年も咲いてくれることでしょう。しかし、この人物はこの写真のようには永遠に若くいることはできない。自然は循環しているが、人は今のこの瞬間しかないのです。

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We lament the brevity of the blossoms, yet they will bloom again next year. This individual, however, will never be as young as he was in this photo. Cyclicity is a core belief of the nature of 'things', but as individuals, we only have the here and now.  

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When I took this photo I considered blossoms a guaranteed continuum, but in recent years climate change is disrupting their pattern (related article here.) For centuries blossoms have featured in Japanese art. This photo enters my work into that conversation. It's also the dating of these works that are helping scientists today examine how changes in the environment are affecting Japan's native fauna.