 |
The village of Echichens overlooks Lake Le Man in the outskirts of Lausanne in western Switzerland. It is here that Akira Mase works his vegetable fields using the FG205, a small tiller built to European specification. A professional cameraman specializing in covering Formula One car races, Mase has taken over 600,000 shots in the past 40 years. His work is very highly regarded, having been exhibited not in only Japan, but also in Europe and the United States.
Mase first took up vegetable gardening about 5 years ago. Thirty years had passed since he moved to Switzerland, when one day he realized he had a burning desire for the delicate taste and distinct texture of Japanese vegetables. Last year, he harvested 34 different kinds of vegetables. Very little root crops, such as radishes or burdock, are gown in the area where he lives, with most of the vegetables being foliage plants and gourds, which don't require farmers to plough or till deep into the soil and make it soft. At the current time, Mase puts all his energy into raising burdock. "I now use a small tiller, which allows me to plough deep into the soil to overturn it to make it soft enough to grow my precious burdock" relates Mase. His entire life changed once he started growing Japanese vegetables. "Every day I think about working in my fields. Even when I return to Switzerland from an overseas trip, I head straight to my fields from the airport." With over 600 assignments shooting Grand Prix races under his belt, Mase seems to have found another passion in his life.
 |
|
|
|
