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Sharing with Travellive, Mr. Do Van Hai said: “Most of the photos I took were of places I visited spontaneously, while others I stumbled upon on social media or heard about from friends. Although they weren't particularly famous, each place I visited had its own unique beauty that made me stop to take those photos.”
Emotional randomness
Without overthinking or preparing for photoshoots, he captures every moment naturally. Hai shared: "Everything, every moment, is recorded spontaneously, intuitively, and simply. Sometimes I think it's as simple as taking selfies."
He captured every moment naturally.
From the first day he set foot in Japan, everything was new and captivating to him. He shared that he enjoyed wandering alone to learn more about the life and people there. These walks gradually made photography an indispensable part of his life. "Everything here is so beautiful and different from what I've always seen, so photography has become a hobby in my life in Japan."
Hai compares photography to writing a diary, but instead of using words, he uses images to preserve memories. He shared: "Some people like to write diaries, using words to record memorable things in their lives, and for me, photography is the same. It's a way for me to preserve memories of my time living in Japan."
Although life can sometimes be busy and stressful, for him, photography is a way to balance life. It adds new colors to his life abroad, helping him find peace after stressful working hours. At the same time, it also gives him the opportunity to experience and learn many things from Japanese culture.
Memorable moment: Getting lost in Nara
One of Hai's most memorable experiences was visiting a temple on a mountain in Nara City. That day, he was so engrossed in taking photos that he accidentally missed the last bus. He recounted, "It was a late autumn/early winter day, and it got dark very quickly. There were hardly any taxis around, and I was very confused about what to do. Groups of tourists boarded buses one after another and left, and the crowd thinned out."
In his confusion, he was fortunate to meet an elderly Japanese couple. They inquired about his situation and offered him a ride to the train station. Hai emotionally shared about that moment: “All the way there, they were very friendly, chatting and asking many questions about me and about Vietnam. There was one thing they said that really touched me: ‘Life is difficult and challenging everywhere. But your job is to overcome it and live well. Live beautifully, like the golden and red leaves of autumn, so you won’t have any regrets later.’”
This experience was not just a chance encounter, but also a valuable lesson about human kindness. “It was a very cold day, but I felt so happy and warm. Before we got off at the station to say goodbye, the elderly couple even gave me a packet of crispy momiji (a type of fried battered red leaf snack only available in autumn in Japan). It was also the first time I had ever seen and tasted it,” said Hai.
"It wasn't just a chance encounter; it was a learning experience, something that no book could ever teach us."
For him, it wasn't just a memorable experience from his wanderings taking photos, but also a testament to the warmth and sharing between strangers. He expressed: "It wasn't simply a chance encounter; it was a lesson, something no book could teach us. Because it was the warmth of human kindness, the care and sharing between people who seemed so far apart from each other in two different countries."
For Hai, photography isn't just a job, but a joy and a way for him to connect with the world around him. Each photograph tells a story, a memory connected to his journey in the land of cherry blossoms. Through each frame, he hopes to capture not only the beauty of nature but also the simple things in everyday life.
Hai's journey of capturing simple beauty will continue, because for him, every place he visits has its own story, and every photograph he takes is a memorable moment in life.
Hai's journey of capturing the simple beauty of life will continue, because for him, every place he visits has its own story, and every photograph he takes is a memorable moment in his life.
