Spinning tops can be found in many cultures around the world,
but the Japanese koma carries a sense of quietness.
Made of wood and set in motion with a simple string,
it spins with strength yet almost no sound,
holding its balance before slowly coming to rest.
The movement is dynamic, but the feeling it leaves behind is calm.
In Japan, the koma is more than a children’s toy.
It is traditionally played with during the New Year,
a symbol of good fortune —
to spin well is to let good luck turn smoothly in the year ahead.
This photograph captures not the motion itself,
but the moment before or after it.
The texture of the wood, the braided string,
and the soft tassel speak of handcraft, patience,
and the beauty found in simple forms.
It is not loud or flashy.
Yet in its stillness, the spirit of Japan quietly appears
