Oaxaca and Life with a Camera.

Nice to meet you.
I live in Oaxaca and am the person behind "Saruya."

Since moving to Oaxaca in 2006, I have lived here working mainly in folk crafts and as a local guide.
I have long worked behind the scenes of travel, but since the pandemic, I feel that the landscape of Japanese people visiting Oaxaca has changed little by little.

Overseas travel itself has become something special, and about two generations have passed.
In such an atmosphere, to be honest, I have had a bit too much free time in my main job.

In that case—
Let's capture the "now" of Oaxaca in photos.

With that thought, my days of walking around town with a camera in hand began, and
I also started a note, "better late than never."

I hope to capture what I have seen while living in this place,
in a form that is not a tourist guide, through photos and words.

Photographing moving things

I like to photograph fast-moving subjects.

The sensation of capturing the moment of dancing, jumping, and colliding,
is like a Stand that stops time—
if you are a JoJo fan you might understand, but I fall into the illusion that I am using "The World."

For that reason as well,
many of my photos are of Guelaguetza and Lucha Libre.

The cameras I use are

• OM SYSTEM OM-5 (Micro Four Thirds)

• Nikon Zf

Lightness and mobility, and strength in low light and with moving subjects.
I naturally use them differently depending on the purpose.

July in Oaxaca, the season of Guelaguetza

July in Oaxaca is Guelaguetza month.

Originally it is a large dance festival held once a year, but in recent years, it has increasingly been held in various parts of the state
as a "form of festival" outside of July.

As someone who loves festivals, honestly, I am happy about this trend.

The following photos were taken on July 29, 2024,
at the official Guelaguetza venue in the city.

July is the busiest season for my camera.
I go out into town with my camera 3 to 4 days a week.

Colorful folk costumes, music, and mezcal served to the audience.
For those who love photography, this might be a time you'll want to visit at least once.

Another subject: Lucha Libre

And one more thing.
My important subject is Lucha Libre.

When it comes to Mexican professional wrestling,

• Arena Mexico

• Arena Coliseo

• Arena Puebla

and other large CMLL-affiliated venues are famous, but
at these venues, bringing in cameras is basically prohibited.
I only use my smartphone there as well.

Under such circumstances, through a connection,
at the 'Arena Oaxaca' held in Oaxaca,
even though I am Japanese, I am allowed to shoot as a staff photographer.

The following are from recent photos.
Portrait-style photosnaturally become more frequent.

Children's Day free match (April 30, 2025)

This day had quite harsh conditions, with no lighting, only streetlights.

Arena Oaxaca is characterized by its yellow walls, and
its photogenic quality is one of its charms.

At this venue, I mainly use Nikon Zf for my photography.

About the future

I realized that three months have passed since I started note.

This time it turned into a sort of status update, but
since moving to Oaxaca in 2006,
I have also been writing a blog consistently.

If you are interested, I would be happy if you could read that as well.

From now on,
I hope to record my travels in Oaxaca, my photography, and my life in this land
a little more carefully on note.

Thank you for your continued support.