On Japan, 1946-1947

On my days off, I had an old Rolleicord, and I started to photograph the people on the streets, the homeless people, and the old people, the Japanese veterans with their legs cut off, walking down the street. I think it was there that this whole documentary-style type of photography kind of evolved at that time, for me. What drew me to take these type of pictures and disregard other types of photographs, taking pictures of the ships in the harbor or something, I concentrated on the people on the streets of Tokyo. I think that was the beginning of my photographic life. I actually felt then that this was what I want to do with my life.