Every so often, I get a message that starts a little hesitantly: “We are a same-sex couple — would you still be able to photograph our proposal?” My answer is always the same. Of course. There is nothing to worry about at all. When one person loves another and wants to ask them to spend their life together, gender has nothing to do with it. I truly believe that, and it is a privilege to be trusted with those moments.

Of course, some couples — same-sex or not — would rather keep their photos private, and that is completely fine. In that case, they stay private. I never share anyone’s photos on my website or social media without their permission. This couple was happy for me to share both the video and the photos, which is why I am able to post them here.

This proposal was for two men, and it turned out to be one of the most moving shoots I have done this year.

He and I spent a lot of time planning where it should happen. The place he chose was a mountain hiking trail in Osaka, well away from the city, where you can walk for a long time without meeting anyone. It was my first time there, so I studied the area on Street View beforehand, picked out a few possible spots, and then arrived well ahead of them on the day to walk the trail and scout it properly. That extra time paid off — we found a beautiful spot right beside the river.

When the moment came, his partner was completely caught off guard. You could see him trying to process it — that look of “is this really happening?” — before the surprise turned into pure joy. The two of them held each other for a long time, and I photographed all of it. Those hugs are some of the most honest frames I have ever taken.

Afterwards we made the most of the setting: the river, the trees, the mountain paths. The sky looked like it might rain at any moment, and they had brought an umbrella, so we worked it into the photos. Some of my favourite shots of the day are the two of them under that umbrella, surrounded by green.

When I showed them the photos, they were genuinely surprised by how they had turned out — a reminder of exactly why I love this work.

Thank you both for choosing me to be your photographer. Congratulations — I am wishing you a long and happy life together, and I hope you come back to Japan again soon.

If you are planning a proposal in Japan — whoever you are, and whoever you love — my Osaka packages are here, and I would be glad to help.