Akiko DuPont, 30, is a freelance photographer from Tokyo. She’s spent years photographing her grandpa, Jiji.
Jiji is 94 years old. He fought in World War 2 and trained to become a Kamikaze fighter, but just as he was about to fly, the war ended and he came home.
He went on to work in an office for 64 years.
But in 2009, he fell sick and was hospitalised. Jiji began to lose his interest in life. He became stubborn, grumpy, and unhappy.
Akiko desperately wanted to help.
‘My grandfather is a very interesting person, and we all love him, very very much,’ Akiko tells metro.co.uk.
‘In a way, he was always stubborn and a bit grumpy (an extremely traditional Japanese man), but he is a generous, wise, giving, sincere, full of love, kind, very patient, serious, bright and charming, tiny old man.
‘Grandpa always cares about the others, more than about him.’
One day, Akiko secretly adopted a kitten that her friend didn’t want, called Kinako. She brought him into the home and hid him in her room.
When Jiji walked into Akiko’s room and saw Kinako, it was love at first sight.
‘His eyes shined full of happiness,’ says Akiko. ‘That was how they met and when I thought that I should document the two.
They bonded quickly.
Kinako brought joy back into Jiji’s life, giving him companionship and someone to care for when he needed it most.
They’re now best friends, and Akiko can’t help but capture the adorable moments they spend together.
‘Kinako lifts up Jiji by simply being Kinako,’ Akiko tells us. ‘I think friends and families are the same for a human.
‘Jiji became stubborn and grumpier after he got sick. But since Kinako, he began to laugh more.
‘He found a best friend in the house. Grandpa whispers to the cat, then, satisfied, heads back to his “work” or sits on a sofa to watch TV.
‘”Don’t give human food!!” is what my mom always tell him, and whenever I catch him giving a slice of fish to his buddy, Jiji grins.
‘He found a true “buddy”.’
The friendship allows both Jiji and Kinako their independence. They’re not always together and are free to enjoy their own space.
But when they spend time by each other’s side, it’s pretty special.
Kinako is a loving, shy cat. Jiji is a very neat man who loves to turn newspapers into scrapbooks, buying three newspapers a day, highlighting them, cutting them, and gluing snippets into his books.
Kinako loves to jump in and distract Jiji whenever he’s on a newspaper mission.
‘Pretty much every day, Jiji cuts the papers, Kinako jumps on the table, then they fight, give up, and keep doing what they want to do,’ said Akiko.
‘Jiji cuts articles, Kinako sleeps on the newspapers or stays around it.
‘But every now and then they get together, share their important moments, like they are making sure they are having a good day.
‘Kinako and Jiji takes a nap together a lot and they often sleep in a similar pose. It’s really funny and heartwarming looking at them.’
Akiko takes joy in knowing that Kinako brings her grandpa, who she considers her best friend (‘although Kinako may disagree or get jealous!’), true happiness and comfort after years feeling low.
‘I truly respect Jiji and love him from the bottom of my heart,’ says Akiko.
‘Grandpa taught me so many things but especially about being Japanese. He greatly influenced me throughout my life, with many things.
‘He was the first person who taught me how to make a paper crane (origami) and we made it a lot, like a LOT.
‘Because he is one of the most important people to me, seeing him having a happier life again also made me happy.
‘There was no intention to share the photographs and the story to anyone when I first began documenting them.
‘However, seeing these two by being these two, wrapping the family with a veil of warmth, I thought that they may be able to provide heart warming moments to someone out there as well, not just his family.’
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