
Yoshida Nagi appeared in an interview for OnTrip JAL in 2017, where she spoke about her thoughts on her activities in Africa, which is her life's work.
Currently, overseas travel is restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and many other activities have come to a halt, including her beloved trips to Africa. However, she remains positive, enjoying life at home and looking forward to the day she can travel again.
What Nagi Yoshida is feeling right now
The release of Yoshida's photobook "DRAGQUEEN -No Light, No Queen-" that was announced the other day, as well as all related events and exhibitions, have been halted due to the impact of the new coronavirus. Yoshida says that she is now spending her time quietly at home. She has chosen not to engage in creative activities, but to spend her "time doing nothing" by playing games and cooking.

From the book "DRAG QUEEN – No Light, No Queen -"
"It's tough for me too, but I think there are many people who have it even tougher than me. I'm not being too pessimistic, and I don't think I'll ever see Japan like this again in my lifetime, so I feel like I've been witnessing an amazing time. So now I'm going to do as many things as I can that I can't do when I start working. Like playing games for 12 hours straight (laughs)." (Nagi Yoshida, same below)
However, there are some things I have come to realise now that I no longer travel.
"Staying at home in Japan like this, I spend all my time playing games and surfing the internet, so I feel like my view of the world is narrow. But by going outside and interacting with people face to face, you can make new discoveries and learn about the world, and that's the same with traveling. Right now, I'm really looking for experiences that will broaden my view of the world."
Although the internet allows us to access information from all over the world, the world we see with our own eyes and meet people has a different appeal than the world we see online. These are words that carry weight precisely because Yoshida, who has traveled the world, said them.

A trip to India where I encountered new things
Yoshida's most recent travel memories are from Sri Lanka and southern India. He says he made many discoveries while traveling around southern India, both for work location scouting (pre-visiting) and for personal reasons.
"What I discovered when I went to southern India was that there were surprisingly few tourists. I had heard from an acquaintance that the southern part of India is the best, so I assumed there would be a lot of tourists, but when I actually went there, there were only locals... I realized that India is still a place that is not well known."
On that trip, he started in Sri Lanka and traveled to Chennai, Kerala, and Mumbai in southern India. What was it like?
"The local people in Sri Lanka were very gentle and I felt at home there. I travelled along the coast from Galle to Hikkaduwa. Galle was by the sea and was a beautiful town. Surfing lovers will enjoy Hikkaduwa, although I don't do that (laughs). I walked around the town while scouting locations, and enjoyed an Ayurvedic massage."
He then traveled to South India and visited temples known as power spots.
"I entered India from Chennai, travelled down to Kerala, and finally went to Mumbai. There was a temple I wanted to visit in India, so my main goal was to visit the gods in Chennai. It's called Balaji Temple, and it's not a place that's well known among foreigners. According to Indian astrology, last year was a once-in-60-year star alignment, so I thought I'd take the chance to go and see the gods."
Chennai is the fourth largest city in India after Bangalore. It is attracting attention as the "gateway to South India", and many Japanese companies have recently been expanding there. Relatively nearby tourist destinations include the World Heritage Site Mahabalipuram and Krishna's Butterball.
Yoshida visited Tirumala, a town about two hours by car from Chennai. There is a temple here dedicated to the Hindu god Venkateshwar (Vishnu), commonly known as Balaji Temple. It is one of the largest temples in South India, with 100,000 people visiting every weekend and it takes two or three days just to visit the temple during festivals, but it seems that he had a small incident and a wonderful encounter here.
"You need a passport to visit the Balaji Temple, but I forgot it... I was told that I wouldn't be able to make it in time for the reception if I went back to the hotel, so I tried again the next day (laughs)."
"The next day, I went back to pray and while I was waiting in line with a huge crowd of Indian people, I met a girl who loved Japan. She explained to me about the gods and the origins of the temple, and also told me where to line up, like 'If you line up here you'll be able to see the gods right in the middle,' and the timing of when to chant."

Most of the people visiting Balaji Temple were Indians, and the number of people was "unimaginable." Foreigners are subject to inspections such as baggage and passport checks, and there are rules such as changing into white clothing for worship, so it is often difficult to get in without a guide.
"If I had gone in the day before, I wouldn't have been able to see the gods from the center. I thought that whenever I saw a god I had to pray, but there were certain places where you weren't allowed to pray. She told me all about it, so I was able to pray really well. If I hadn't met her, I don't think I would have been able to enjoy this temple to the fullest."
Dreaming of a journey. Travel to Africa is on the rise.
The place Yoshida would like to visit again is Africa.
"I really want to go to Africa. I haven't been there since last year. There are still many countries on the African continent that I haven't been to. Right now I want to go to South Sudan and Angola. There are some difficult aspects to these countries in terms of security and the turmoil in the local economies, but I would like to go someday."

He also told us about an episode he encountered in Ethiopia.
"There is a boy in Ethiopia to whom I have been sending tuition since around 2010. When I met him a few years ago, he was about 17 years old and told me that he wanted a mobile phone. The last time we met, I gave him a smartphone as a gift. Since then, we have been in frequent contact (laughs), and we still keep in touch."
"Regarding the current COVID-19 pandemic, people ask me things like, 'How is Japan?' and I get messages like, 'This is the situation in Ethiopia.' It seems like people there still aren't taking it that seriously. One reason is that information hasn't reached them. But for better or worse, it seems like they have a strong psychological resistance to epidemics. I'm worried, but I feel their resilience and strength."
Yoshida has visited Africa many times and there are many people he would like to meet again.
"I'd like to meet again the guides I've worked with and the ethnic people I've filmed with. They have the strong impression that travelers and foreigners are just a one-time encounter. But they were so kind to me, so I think that going to see them again is a sign of my respect. I want to go and tell them I'm doing well."

Yoshida says that the great thing about traveling is meeting people you want to see again. Africa is where she works, and it's a place where she has irreplaceable memories. If she dreams of traveling, it's bound to be a trip to meet people she wants to see again. She also shared this fun story with us:
"When I go to Africa, the locals are always happy to receive Tokyo Bananas (laughs). I bring lots of them to the guides and the natives. They seem to be resistant to unfamiliar flavors. So the familiar banana flavor gives them a sense of security, and the fluffy sponge cake is delicious. So they're a surefire souvenir (laughs)."
I look forward to being able to travel again and seeing Yoshida-san having fun talking to people in Africa, carrying lots of Tokyo bananas. A trip where you meet people you want to see again. I would love to try it.
Yoshida Nagi
Born in 1986. Photographer. Self-taught in photography, he traveled to Africa alone in 2009.
Since then, he has photographed and published images of ethnic minorities around the world, including in Africa. His unique use of color and intuitive way of life were highly praised, and he was selected as one of the "100 People Who Will Shape the Future" by Nikkei Business magazine in 2017. In the same year, he also won the Kodansha Publishing Culture Award for Photography.
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