Location: Tōbu Nikkō Line, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Date: July 2019
Photographer: Robert Dahlberg-Sears
Home Country: United States
University Affiliation: Graduate Student
Category: People
In the artist's words: "A group of young people relaxed and staring out the window at the scenery of Tochigi prefecture as their train speeds from Tokyo toward Utsunomiya station. Although a Saturday, the train is nearly empty, and the threat of rain hangs heavy on the horizon, endangering their trip to the town of Nikkō, nestled in the mountains. This is the group's first trip beyond Tokyo, and their idle chatter, which had filled the car before, has grown silent as they gaze out at the vivid green of summer rice paddies.
Train travel is the ultimate way to see a place. It allows you the time and space to appreciate the journey, while also vividly impressing your own smallness in the world upon you by comparison. Look closely and you might even be able to hear the soft clickety-clack of steel on rail."