El-Branden Brazil

When I was 13 years old in the UK, I cut out a photograph of the Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha) from an old 1953 book about Japan. For years, this image adorned my bedroom wall. At that time, my interest in Buddhism was developing in secret. I bought books on Zen, which I kept hidden under my bed. I was fascinated by the aesthetics of the Daibutsu. He is part of the reason that I ended up on these shores in Japan. Over my past 26 years living in nearby Tokyo, I have had many opportunities to meet my old friend, as I did last week.

This is a collection of images from over the years.
Photography by El-Branden Brazil