NOREN verified host
Toshiya
A street photographer capturing Fukuoka's quiet light
福岡市
A note from Miki Matsushima, founder of NOREN
Why I'm introducing you to Toshiya
I first met Shota by chance in a small café in Hakata. He was looking through one of his own photo books — and in those quiet pages I saw a Fukuoka I had walked past for years without noticing. He doesn't simply take photographs. He seems to capture the breathing of the moment itself. He is a quiet person at first. But when the conversation turns to light or composition, his eyes soften and he will tell you, "The light just stopped, right there." What he shares with guests isn't really a photo walk — it's an hour or two of falling slowly in love with a corner of a city most visitors never see.
In Toshiya's own words
Why I do this work:
Photography found me when I was wishing to slow down. In a world that moves too fast, the camera demands that I "truly see" ― the small moments that so many people overlook.
When photographing guests in Dazaifu, I'm not trying to capture "photos that look perfect." Instead, I'm trying to leave something that guests can cherish and take with them. The way light falls on a cheek in the moment of laughter, the gesture of a hand touching kimono fabric, the brief pause before stepping through a torii gate. These are the photographs that matter ― because they're real, not performed.
A message to our guests:
Don't worry about being "photogenic." Don't fret about your hairstyle, your pose, or your smile. Walk with me, look around, and be curious. The photographs will happen naturally.
Experiences with Toshiya
Practical information
- Languages
- 日本語 · English
- Location
- 福岡市
- Response time
- Usually within 24 hours
- NOREN support
- NOREN translates between you and your host in English and Japanese so you can talk like neighbours.