A significant part of Japan's appeal to me has always been its history and how much of it is still clearly visible in the modern era. In large part, this facet is what led me to begin a personal project photographing people involved in the traditional crafts of Japan...

A quintessential element of Japan, at least for me, is tatami. It's difficult for me to form in my mind a basic concept of Japan without also visualizing Japanese structures, new and old, that are filled with these simple woven straw mats…