ABOUT

This website is inspired by my existence between East and West. Born in Germany, but at home for half a century in Japan and South-East Asia, I have embraced the solace of enigma and mystery—the allure of the primordial and numinous. It evokes a sense of emotional depth in what is ambiguous, unseen, or unspoken. This nuanced perspective stands in stark contrast to the German inclination for certainty and stern structure, where conclusions are often framed in terms of black and white, or right and wrong. As a Japanese friend once explained to me, "In the West, there is only heaven and hell, and nothing in between, but our world is inhabited by thousands of gods everywhere, not just the Righteous One." Imagination thrives when you let go, relinquishing control and freeing yourself from the constraints of reason and the need to ask "why."

Most of my life has been spent in East Asia, primarily in Japan, but for eight years, I also had a home in Yogyakarta, Indonesia (2012–2020). In the 1990s, I worked for lengthy periods in central Africa, Australia, and New York, producing features for various international publications. During these assignments, I always created more material than needed, driven by my own vision. I often had ideas that differed from my editors' requirements, resulting in a vast archive of unpublished work.

Finally, the digital medium allows me to share these untold stories as I originally intended. I believe that innovative digital visual storytelling offers appeal in a world of image overload and visual clutter.

Upcoming ebooks will feature my prescient work from 1992-93 on climate change in central Africa, including the Mbororo pastoralists in the savanna, the Bantu on the edge of, and the Bayaka pygmies in the tropical forest. This project also covers the ascent of the snow-capped Ruwenzori Mountains, the source of the Nile. Future publications will document my journeys through Australia’s arid lands on road trains and my Atlantic crossing on a tall ship.

These ebooks will include not only text and photos but also interviews, sounds, and videos for a more immersive experience. A major body of work from my time in Java, focusing on the region's sophisticated culture, is being edited for a book titled Mataram.

Hans Sautter, Tokyo, September 2024

CREATORS

Hans Sautter    Tokyo    concept, multimedia, web design

(hans-sautter.com    japanbook.info)

Keiko Uruma    Tokyo   Co-Producer Japan, Consulting Editor

Viviane Egli    Zürich    Consulting Editor    Primafila (primafila-cm.com)

In memory of Nuri Tri Maryati    Production Coordinator Indonesia

Editing, proofreading and legalese assisted by AI (chatGTP-4)

Profile edited by Eugene Tarshis   Tokyo

This website is made with Sparkle 

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Gabrielle Alioth (gabriellealioth.com), Keith Harmon Snow (keithharmonsnow.com)

Christopher Findlay, Jared Lubarsky, Eugene Tarshis, Clark Shimazu

SUPPORT

Akira Yamazaki, Rod Gill, Vita Beckert, Gerhard & Elli Hoffmann