Kazuhisa Oishi

Year of birth: 1982.
Where do you live: Japan, Shizuoka prefecture.
Your education: Self-taught photography.
Describe your art in three words: Inquisitive, active, realist.
Your discipline: Nature photographer, wildflower photographer.
Website | Instagram

You started photography as a hobby, focusing on flowers. How did encountering Japanese wildflowers in 2020 change your perspective as a photographer?

Before 2020, I mainly photographed seasonal flowers planted in botanical gardens, and even then, I enjoyed interacting with the flowers and taking pictures with my camera, but these were not professional activities, but simply one area of my expressive activities as a hobby. When I encountered Kumagaisou in my hometown in 2020, my perspective as a photographer changed from horticultural flowers to capturing the beauty of wildflowers, as well as their strength, gentleness, robustness, delicacy, and transience from my own perspective in photographs, and I shared my work with people all over the world on social media.

What fascinates you the most about Japan’s wildflowers, and how do you choose which flowers to photograph?

Wildflowers bud, bloom, bear fruit, and leave offspring for the next generation, without being told to do so by anyone else, based on the programs built into their genes. They never exist to gain anyone’s approval. I feel a sense of mystery, strength, robustness, beauty, and awe towards the entire cycle of life of wildflowers. When choosing wildflowers to photograph, I gather all kinds of information in advance, such as my schedule, the weather in the wildflower’s habitat, and flowering information, and make a comprehensive decision.

Kazuhisa Oishi | Rapeseed blossom in full bloom and Mt. Fuji | 2022

Japan is famous for its four distinct seasons. Which season do you find the most inspiring for your work, and why?

The seasons that inspire me the most for my work are summer and spring. In spring, wildflowers wake up from their sleep after a long winter, and as if celebrating the long-awaited spring, they bloom beautifully, gracefully, and elegantly, celebrating the joy of spring with their whole body. Spring is the season with the most wildflowers in bloom. The season progresses steadily with each passing day, and wildflowers bloom one after another. Even if I wanted to photograph all the wildflowers, I wouldn’t be able to do so, so it’s a busy and very enjoyable season for photography.

In Japan, the summer season is called early summer from late May, and the rainy season called the rainy season is from June to mid-July. When the rainy season ends in late July, the full-fledged summer season arrives. In the summer, the snow melts in the subalpine and alpine zones of Japan, and alpine plants are in full bloom. Alpine plants live in environments that are too harsh for humans to settle in most seasons other than summer. I also climb mountains in alpine zones at altitudes of over 2,000 meters. I am attracted to the beauty, strength, and fragility of the vitality of the alpine plants that grow in the alpine zone. I want to capture and share with you a glimpse into the lives of these plants as they struggle to survive in harsh environments.

Your photographs beautifully capture not only flowers but also their surrounding landscapes. How important is the environment in your photography?

In my photography style, the scenery and environment surrounding the wildflower subject are closely linked and are one of the most important elements. It is no exaggeration to say that the quality, theme, message, story, and uniqueness of the work are determined by the quality of the scenery and environment. By skillfully incorporating the scenery surrounding the wildflower subject, I believe it is easier to convey to the viewer of the photo the season, weather, location, and natural environment in which the wildflower blooms, allowing them to enjoy the work on a deeper level.

Kazuhisa Oishi | Kawazuzakura blooms in February | 2022

Shizuoka Prefecture, where you grew up, has a rich natural environment, including Mt. Fuji. How does your connection to your birthplace influence your work?

Shizuoka Prefecture, where I was born and raised, has a warm climate all year round, stretches 140 km from east to west, and is rich in beautiful nature, including Lake Hamana, the Izu Peninsula, Mt. Fuji, the Southern Alps, Suruga Bay, home to a rich diversity of marine life, and numerous mountains. Having the beautiful nature of Shizuoka Prefecture so close to me was a commonplace sight for me. I grew up surrounded by beautiful nature, which nurtured the delicate sensibilities necessary for a photographer, gave me the opportunity to encounter wildflowers later in life, and I think this formed the foundation of my career as a photographer to this day.

Your images reveal a deep sensitivity to nature. How do you approach capturing the essence of a flower or a landscape?

To capture the true essence of wildflowers, I aim my lens at them from the same eye level as the plants. As I aim my lens at them and take pictures, I have a conversation with them, concentrating my mind and sharpening my sensibilities to listen to what they are trying to tell us. With landscapes, I don’t think about moments when I thought they were beautiful with my own eyes, but rather I just let my senses guide me when I press the shutter.

Kazuhisa Oishi | O-kitsuneno kamisori in August | 2022

Can you share a particularly memorable experience or story behind one of your photographs?

If I had to pick one memorable experience or story from my photography, it would be my encounter with Kitadakesou, Takanemantema, and Kanran. My encounter with Kitadakesou was when I first started climbing high mountains in earnest in 2022, when someone told me that Kitadakesou, an endemic species, grows wild on Kitadake in the Southern Alps. The Kitadakesou in the photo was pure white and pretty, and I was immediately drawn to its charm, and I had a strong desire to climb Kitadake at least once in my life and capture Kitadakesou with my own camera. The following year, in late June 2023, I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Kitadake in the Southern Alps, and the weather was perfect and I was able to take photos of Kitadakesou.

I knew about Takanemantema in 2022, but I was lucky enough to make a reservation at a mountain hut in late July of this year, 2024. Although it was past its peak, I was able to take a photo of Takanemantema, which is very rare in Japan, thanks to the good weather. However, Takanemantema is said to have fewer than 100 plants in Japan, and is also designated as an endangered species by the Ministry of the Environment. It was also an opportunity to seriously think about what we need to do to pass this species on to future generations.

Kanran is one of the famous wildflowers that has been highly prized among wildflower lovers in Japan for a long time and is traded at high prices. However, it is said that wild species are almost never seen in their natural habitat, and they are over-harvested for viewing purposes and are designated as an endangered species by the Ministry of the Environment. One day, the chance to see kanran suddenly came. I received information from a flower friend I know that kanran was blooming, and he guided me around, so I was able to see the real kanran. It was a very big and precious opportunity, as the chance to see a real kanran in bloom probably doesn’t come often in a lifetime. Unfortunately, many of the wild plants that grow naturally in Japan are also victims of theft by unscrupulous people. It was also an opportunity to think about what can be done to protect wild plants from theft.