After spending a month photographing La Línea de la Concepción, my mother's hometown in Cádiz, I traveled to Japan to visit my brother. I spent another month there, getting to know the city where he lives. While one might think that La Línea de la Concepción and Japan are worlds apart, I found many similarities and discovered that Japan and I share a strong connection with Andalusia.

This fascination that some Japanese people have for Andalusia—the flamenco, the Arab heritage—stems from their love of traditions. Andalusia is tradition, and so is Japan. Although at first glance, one culture might seem very extroverted and the other more reserved, both share a passionate spirit deep within.

I also feel that both Chigasaki and La Línea de la Concepción have a similar topography. In one, the coast is split in two by that giant crag, the Rock of Gibraltar, while on the Shonan coast, to which Chigasaki belongs, Mount Fuji imposingly dominates the shoreline.

Although I had visited Japan before, it had always been as a tourist, and my interactions with Japanese people had always been very superficial. I wanted to make the most of this extended stay to connect with them on a deeper level. I was pleasantly surprised to meet people with a great sense of humor, who were very curious about me and Spain (especially Andalusia) and who were willing to pose for me. The only barrier was the language, as they were always completely open and welcoming.

Not all the photos were taken in Chigasaki. I had the pleasure of exploring other areas of the Shonan region by bike, such as the nearby Tsujido beach and Enoshima. That’s why this project has taken the name of the region itself. The origin of the word Shōnan has several theories, though my favorite refers to its beauty.