For our 53rd GRist, we have Sanaka Hiiragi!

Ms. Hiiragi is an award-winning novelist who loves cameras and photography. She writes about cameras and photography for a variety of media, and on her social media sites, she shares many snapshots she took with the GR!

And yesterday on February 17th, she released her new book, “Tengoku kara no takkyubin (Home Delivery from Heaven)” (Futabasha)! In chapter 4, there is an episode about a photography club and cameras, so be sure to check it out at your local bookstore.

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It was when mixi (a social media site in Japan) was booming.

When I was trying to get serious about photography, I found out that each camera had its own community, and I started peeking into various camera rooms. Among them, I found the GR room to be the one with the most comfortable sense of distance and the coolest photos. Then I started taking pictures with the GR Digital II like a diary, then GR1, GRIII, and GR IIIx. GR has always been my good partner.

I take my wallet, my phone, and my GR with me. I take it with me when I go jogging and camping.

I have my GR in my right hand as soon as I think, “Oh, great airplane clouds!” I want my camera to be with me whenever my heart moves even a little bit, and I think the GR is perfect for that.

Everyday life is so fragile that it quickly slips out of your memories.

Whether it's the color of a banana leaf, the reflection of water, or a snowy landscape, I want to capture them one by one with my GR and keep them as a treasure.

Sanaka Hiiragi
Sanaka Hiiragi is a writer, novelist, born in Kagawa, raised in Hyogo, and lives in Tokyo. In 2013, she debuted as the secret winner of the “KONOMYS Award”. A series of short stories set in a long-established classic camera store in Yanaka, and a camera mystery novel, “Yanaka retoro kamera ten no nazo biyori (Mystery Days at Yanaka Retro Camera Shop” in three volumes (Takarajima-sha), led to her writing for photography and camera magazines. She has also written “Jinsei shashinkan no kiseki (Miracles in the Photo Studio After Life” (Takarajima-sha), a story about a special photo studio that takes running lantern photos. On February 17, 2022, “Tengoku kara no takkyubin (Home Delivery from Heaven)” (Futabasha) was released. There is an episode about a photography club and cameras in chapter 4 of the novel. A humorous mystery novel about three girls at a photography school and a large format camera is scheduled to be released around July. Photo & Culture, Tokyo PCT “Sanaka Hiiragi no kamera numa (Hiiragi Sanaka's Cameras No Way Out)” is being published weekly.

https://photoandculture-tokyo.com/