2010　 Prize-winning works / Other entries from overseas

TIntense Competition
/ Karukaya Erika (Kumamoto)

Message from the photographer

Spirited voices ring across the gym after school. Kanae, who's playing kendo with everything she's got, looks so dignified. But during breaks from practice, she has the biggest smiles. Maybe they represent the joy of being able to put everything she has into something she loves; she looks luminous, and changes pain into fun. That's the kind of girl she is. I wonder how Kanae, who has matured as a human being through kendo, will change in the next year or two. Her dream is to win at nationals. Remember to smile for us when your dream comes true, Kanae.

About the subject

Kanae began kendo when she was in first grade, taking after her older sister. Now, in high school, she lives in a dorm and goes to grueling practice sessions. I decided to photograph Kanae because I was drawn to her commitment to excelling both in her studies and in kendo.