A patient photographer is eliciting smiles from cat lovers everywhere with his perfectly-timed photos of street cats in Japan.
It took 44-year-old Masayuki Oki of Kobe City in Japan’s Hyogo Prefecture some time behind the camera to fall in love with his medium. However, it wasn’t long before the social behavior and goofy antics of street cats quickly earned a place in his heart.
Today, Masayuki takes photos of outdoor cats wherever he goes.
He told The Epoch Times: “To be honest, I didn’t really like photography ... I didn’t want to be photographed, so I didn’t get close to the camera. However, in 2009, I started working as a photographer at a women’s clothing store. At first, I was clumsy and bored, but gradually I enjoyed it and it became a hobby.”
In 2014, Masayuki took his hobby onto the streets of downtown Tokyo and discovered the photogenic capers of the local cat colonies. He has since captured cats grinning, playing, hunting, fighting, grooming, and generally being goofy—offering a heartwarming insight into the lives of these independent creatures.
“I had never owned a cat until I started shooting, so I was looking at cats with the stereotype of being selfish,” Masayuki said. “By taking pictures, I learned that each cat has its own personality and that I had never thought about the relationships between cats in a community.”
Inspired by his experience, Masayuki felt the urge to take more pictures of felines.
In order to capture cats displaying their natural behavior, Masayuki said, he has to blend in with their natural surroundings, lulling his photo subjects.
“I want to capture the spontaneous behavior of the cats so I don’t rush,” he said, claiming that Japanese street cats are “the same cats you know,” and since funny moments are few and far between, “you just have to be patient and shoot.”
Yet for Masayuki, who loves to pat and interact with cats, enjoying their company is time well spent.
Masayuki now plans to take his camera across Japan including to the country’s famous Aoshima Island in Ehime Prefecture, otherwise known as “Cat Island,” and to overseas locations with thriving cat colonies such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Istanbul.
“I want to capture my heart,” he said. “I don’t want to shoot other subjects so much, because my heart doesn’t feel moved.”
Here are some more pictures of cats from Masayuki’s gallery:
