All of SIGMA’s exceptional lenses, cameras and accessories are produced in our sole production base in Aizu, Japan. The year 2023 marks the 50th anniversary of the Aizu factory’s opening on November 2, 1973. The factory and its employees are the
cornerstone of our reputation, a testament to our growth, and the source of pride behind our “Made in Aizu, Japan” label. To celebrate the occasion, we have created a short video that encapsulates the Aizu factory’s 50-year journey, capturing its history and the present.
(Running time: 5 min. 30 sec.)

Five years ago, I made my first visit to SIGMA’s factory in Aizu to produce the “Made in Aizu” video, and I feel fortunate to have had this new opportunity to visit and film at the factory again.

In 2005, I bought the first photographic lens of my life.
It was a SIGMA 30mm F1.4 EX DC HSM, bought with money I had painstakingly saved from my part-time job.
Although I was a student without much money, I wanted to see what the world looked like through the lens of a camera, and it was SIGMA that started me on this path.

Since then, SIGMA’s cameras and lenses have accompanied me on my journey.
For this project, I was able to delve deep into SIGMA’s history, and I made fascinating discoveries.
Among the many materials I was given to research this film, I came across the first issue of “SIGMA NEWS,” the company’s internal newsletter. There was a line about the employees of the Aizu factory, described as “creative individuals working for a free-spirited company” who were helping to shape the ideal society of tomorrow.
As I continued filming at the Aizu factory, I understood that the conditions for all these brilliant people to work together passionately had been created and shaped by a philosophy that had been in place since the founding day.

Above all, my greatest joy was meeting everyone at the Aizu factory again and seeing that they are still doing well. Working on this film has made me even more fond of the beloved SIGMA equipment that continues to support my work.

This is the second time I have been invited to contribute music to a SIGMA video.
When shooting music videos or doing live shows, I have received a lot of positive feedback from photographers and videographers who use SIGMA products in their work.

I was delighted to find out that this project, like the first video I worked on, would again be directed by Yuichiro Fujishiro. Having worked together before, it was easy to align our sensibilities and trust each other’s intentions.

As the video traces the past 50 years of SIGMA’s journey, the constant beat of the piano drives the story forward. Musically, we move from muted pianos to beats, synthesizers and choral voices. Personally, I wanted to accompany SIGMA’s story with a stroll through my own musical path.

Always forward, towards a brilliant new light.