The botanical specimens of Dr. Tomitaro Makino, a botanical taxonomist, have a beauty and a sense of life that distinguish his work from that of other botanists, and I can even feel a sense of aesthetics from his work.

Although his specimens are now carefully preserved as important materials for the study of botany, I wanted to focus on and bring out the beauty of each of his specimens by photographing them as if I were taking portraits. Mr. Fujikawa (researcher of Makino Botanical Garden, Kochi Prefecture) and Mr. Hajime Takeuchi (Kochi Shimbun), who collaborated on this project, called my work a new form of botanical art.

The photos were delivered to 160,000 households in Kochi on Dr. Makino's 160th birthday (April 24, 2022), along with his message of peace, on a pink printed page of the Kochi Shimbun newspaper. When this project was realized, I was convinced that this activity should not end here and should be continued.

Unfortunately, there are still wars. But after COVID 19, I believe we can agree on the importance of peace and the importance of everyday life.

Be grateful for plants.

Without plants, human beings would not survive.

If we all love plants,

There will be no more conflicts in the world.

Tomitaro Makino

Dr. Makino wished peace for people and the world while studying plants. I am trying to share his words widely in the pink newspaper coverage along with my photos of specimens as a new attempt and a small, personal peace movement. I will continue this activity in the hope that it will leave something in people's hearts.






Ichigo Sugawara
Born in 1960, graduated from Osaka University of Arts with a degree in Photography. After studying under Osamu Hayasaki, began working as a photographer in France. He has held numerous solo exhibitions and has worked as a cinematographer. In 1996, the film “Blue Fish,” for which he served as the cinematographer, was officially invited to the Berlin International Film Festival. In 2004, his works were included in the permanent collection of the National Library of France. In 2005, he participated in the “Made In The Shade” exhibition at New York’s Pace/MacGill Gallery alongside Robert Frank. His works are also in the collection of the Hanmi Museum of Photography in Korea. In 2005, he served as the director for the opening sequence of the anime “Mushi-Shi,” among other diverse activities. In 2023, he held a solo exhibition “HAKKOU” at the Aomori Museum of Art. In the same year, he published “MAKINO: Portraits of Plants” (Hokuryukan) in February, and held an exhibition of the same name at the Kochi Prefectural Makino Botanical Garden in July. He is a longtime photographer for the Japanese Red Cross Society and a visiting professor at Osaka University of Arts.