I first heard of the “Matagi” civilization right after my third year of college. They were depicted as if coming from a completely different time and captivated my attention immediately. Now, seeing them represented through these images is like peeking back into a distant legend. -From Foreword This photographic story is the first subject matter that Hajime would challenge himself to portray. The trigger to his passion dates back to over a decade ago, when he was just 21 years old. Sitting in the college library he stumbled upon a book that portrayed the life of an ancient Japanese people living in mountainous ranges, only 30 years ago. The tribe was described as being quite apart from the Japanese society as we know it today. The book left a deep impression that marked him for life… This 56-page memoire is richly overflowing with the recollections of Hajime’s 5 years spent living, between 2007 and 2011, with that very tribe, the MATAGI.