After the 2011 earthquake/tsunami in Japan, Akiyoshi Taniguchi reflected on the impermanence of life, and decided to donate his collection of about 800 notable works from Japanese and American photographers. By donating the Japanese works to SFMOMA and the American works to the Museum of Modern Art Tokyo, he hopes his donation will help stimulate an international dialogue about the culture of photography. Here he recounts why he began collecting Japanese and American photography and how it relates to his life as a Buddhist priest and why he built “Kurenboh,” a special space in his temple for individuals to have intimate and meditative encounters with photographic works. Related ideas: Other ways of seeing: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6LAgXLAqTH-MnQsggiWtvKSaibcJEyMF Rinko Kawauchi's everyday mysteries: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWzj6AuHiGk Ishiuchi Miyako's photos of scars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmeC668SO40