Photographer Page

Mark Edward Harris

Kayaking through Antarctic ice floes offers a unique vantage point of these serene landscapes, allowing you to explore in complete isolation.

In the far north of Tohoku, in Aomori prefecture, snowfall comes early and the ground is usually carpeted white by the beginning of November. Festivals like Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival see ornate ice sculptures spring up across the city, as well as glowing lanterns, beautifully decorated. Slightly further south, towards the east coast, lies the start of the Michinoku Coastal Trail, and a poignant example of the regeneration of Tohoku since the 2011 tsunami wreaked havoc on the region. This 620-mile path opened in 2019 and follows the coastline all the way to Soma in Fukushima.

Tsurunoyu Ryokan’s rotenburo (outdoor bath) is the most famous in the area. The historic inn, nestled deep in the mountains of Akita prefecture, dates back more than 300 years and is open year-round for a small admission fee. Preserving historical legacies is hugely important in Japan, and elsewhere in Akita, Gojome Town has seen the successful restoration of a 135-year-old kominkan (cultural centre), bringing the community together.

A staff member at the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation wheels orphaned orangutans in a wheelbarrow. ”The orphans spend several hours every day attending forest school where they learn the skills necessary to be either returned or introduced into the Bornean forest,“ explains Your Shot photographer Mark Edward Harris.