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Something Here: Shin Noguchi's photographs that emphasise the quirky character of Japan

"People are living life desperately. Sometimes lonely, sometimes helping each other, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing. I capture people going about their daily lives because there are moments that they themselves do not realise are more beautiful and full of a human touch than the carefully choreographed movies of Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Federico Fellini or Shakespeare's plays."

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All images courtesy of the artist. Via Creative Boom submission.

All images courtesy of the artist. Via Creative Boom submission.

These are the words of Shin Noguchi, an award-winning street photographer based in Kamakura and Tokyo who describes his focus as an "attempt to capture extraordinary moments of excitement, beauty and humanism" amongst the flow of everyday life in Japan.

In his latest series, Something Here, he captures the rather quirky side of the Japanese, photographing those peculiar but charming moments that might occur when we don't think anyone is watching.

"I want to share these beautiful moments with other people and, at the same time," he adds. "I want them to understand that these extraordinary moments exist in our daily lives and that they can happen anywhere and at anytime. I'm here, just here. You're here, just here. There is something here, something beautiful something special. It may last but a moment, but we are always connected to each other."

Passenger asleep on a bus interior, viewed through an orange handrail, with green traffic light visible in background
Person wearing a large red and white paper letter K covering their head and torso stands on a residential street with ivy-covered hedges and a bicycle nearby
Person in yellow jacket entering a doorway in a white-panelled wall, with a red object visible against their body
Commuters on a Tokyo subway train, with a man in business attire sleeping against the window whilst others sit nearby
A man in a white shirt and cap holds a camera whilst a child in a blue shirt points towards a large yellow inflatable ring on a crowded beach during what appears to be a community event
Woman in blue tulle gown posing on busy Tokyo street crossing as cyclist and pedestrians pass by
A person in dark clothing stands on a paved area against a large gridded wall, with dramatic shadows cast across the surface in bright sunlight
A person in a white hat and shirt peers out from behind a green metal barrier decorated with a cartoon mole wearing a hard hat, positioned on a Japanese street with red temple buildings in the background
A man in white shirt and dark trousers bends down in front of a vibrant orange wall whilst people stand nearby on a street in Japan
Woman in pink coat walking away down a busy urban street carrying a small child in patterned pink leggings
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