Emiko is a Japanese photographer based in Australia. She enjoys exploring different countries with her camera and capturing moments of everyday life, transforming ordinary scenes into something extraordinary. Her father was an engineer who spent much of his time working overseas. Whenever he returned home, he brought back local souvenirs and photographs from the cities he had visited. At the time, she was too young to fully appreciate the souvenirs, but the photographs fascinated her. Even then, she felt a strong curiosity about those distant places and knew that one day she would travel and see them with her own eyes. Later in life, she had opportunities to live in different countries, and those experiences made her even more curious about other cultures and the people who shape them. She began photographing after being inspired by some of her friends, and soon she found herself travelling with her camera. Photography is a form of Zen for her. It calms her mind, allows her to be herself, and helps her observe the world more carefully. She is drawn to simplicity in life, and this is reflected in her photography. She believes photography is a powerful universal language that can connect people regardless of the language they speak. If her work can help others learn about different cultures and the people within them, she would be deeply grateful.