Kumiko Inui researched various “little spaces” related to water in Shizuoka. Inui is engaged in a project to photograph and study “little spaces,” which she describes as “landscapes created by ordinary people through the accumulation of their ingenuity,” such as public places and customs that people cherish. The subjects range widely from farm huts in the fields to simple benches in town, such as things that give form to mundane scenery. Unpretentious human warmth and love for one’s locality are hallmarks of the commons, and people’s daily efforts to conserve such places make them irreplaceable. They become places for living, and Inui says her discoveries and inspirations provide hints for her own creations.

The foothills of Mt. Fuji is known for its abundant spring water. One of these is Inokashira, which is located in the mountain’s western foothills.　Rain and melted snow that seeps into the ground flow between two strata (the “New Fuji Volcano”, which water passes through easily; and the “Old Fuji Volcano” below, which is water does not pass through easily) towards the foot of the mountain, finally gushing out in springs at the bottom of the “New Fuji Volcano” stratum. “Little Spaces” involving spring water have appeared after hundreds of thousands of years of Mt. Fuji’s volcanic activity. Residents built scaffolds with concrete blocks to collect water or artificial ponds by draining spring water to their yards.　Inui feels “The dynamism to skillfully create their own space with just whatever things are at hand”.

Futo Fishing Port is a small fishing port located at the northern end of the Jogasaki Coast along the Izu Peninsula. The ort is also a famous diving spot. During summer, the port is a quiet cove where fishing boats mingle harmoniously with divers and sea swimmers. “This place probably had the perfect natural landscape for a fishing port to begin with. Manmade structures that have been added making excellent use of the topography connect seamlessly with nature, giving form to a place of abundance.” remarked Inui. The terraces of the breakwater became a makeshift kitchen for fishermen and a resting place for divers. Mutually beneficial efforts and care to help people with different goals coexist can be seen everywhere.

Located on the eastern edge of Shizuoka prefecture, the Izu Peninsula has many volcanoes that have blessed the region with hot springs areas, including Atagawa. The Izu Peninsula came into being as a group of submarine volcanoes that gradually rose over a long period of time while moving north together with tectonic plates. From the sight of steam rising here and there enables one to directly experience “the reality that the Izu Peninsula is a land in motion,” remarked Inui. The little spaces of this location shows ingenuity and care for the sloping terrain.