Michiyuki – Voices of Time

Past and present Japan quietly intertwine in the story of Komai, a young man who acquires a traditional wooden house in Nara, the country’s former ancient capital. Built 150 years ago, the house is filled with traces of bygone times. As Komai clears space and begins renovations, he discovers that the neighborhood itself has scarcely changed since the 8th century—its street grid and waterways preserved like a living map of history.

In calm conversations with elderly residents, Komai learns about the fading traditions of the area and the fragile balance between preservation and decay. A neighbor, whose own family’s old house faces demolition, finds new hope when Komai offers to help restore it—a small yet meaningful act of preservation. With meditative stillness and poetic black-and-white imagery, Michiyuki invites us on a journey through space, memory, and transience.