Thank you for visiting "Inaka: Images of Rural Japan." In the spring of 1998, I began this project with a grant from the Suruga Institute, an organization based in Shizuoka Prefecture that is committed to inter-cultural understanding through education and the promotion of Japanese culture abroad.

One of my goals for this website is to dispell stereotypes about Japanese culture and society. When viewing this site, please keep in mind that the work you see here is not intended to be a comprehensive view of life in Japan. One could photograph Japanese culture for many years and never provide a "comprehensive" view; to attempt as much would be a futile endeavor nonetheless. Rather, the images I have chosen to present here are glimpses of my personal experiences in rural Japan.

I came to Japan in the summer of 1997 as a participant of the Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET). During my first two years here, I lived in the Pacific-coast town of Hamaoka in Shizuoka Prefecture. In that small town of about 23,000 people, I taught English four days a week at the local junior high school. Then, on Friday mornings I visited with the children of various kindergartens and elementary schools around town. I have since moved to a nearby town and teach at a public high school. My life in rural Japan--"inaka" in Japanese--has served as the foundation for this project.

You will not find images of ornate shrines and temples or the mysterious and exotic maiko girls of Gion on this site; those images are abundant elsewhere and need not be repeated here. Instead, I have tried to present a more personal, intimate look at the people who live in this highly misunderstood land of Nippon. In spite of all our differences, are we not ultimately members of the same family? Whether it is a tender moment between grandmother and grandchild, a fleeting glimpse through a mirror, or a child's honest, penetrating gaze, the people I have photographed here are human beings--no more, and no less than you. Thus, it is my goal for this website not to present cultural differences, but rather to emphasize the continuity of humanity that transcends all cultural, linguistic and geographic boundaries.

To that end, I have also provided a discussion board to engage visitors in a cross-cultural dialogue which, if used constructively, can further the goal of human understanding. Likewise, there are links to other sites relevant to the material here. If you have any comments about this site, or ways in which it can be improved, I encourage you to visit the discussion board and begin a dialogue. For more direct inquiries, you may contact me via e-mail.

Stevie Scheidemantel