Masaaki Aihara has been a professional landscape photographer for over 17 years and first visit Australia in 1988 when he rode his Honda 600cc motorbike across the Gibson Dessert.

That experience developed a deep passion, a sense of place and feeling for the spirit of Australia. He first visited Tasmania in 1998 and was captivated by the contrast to the mainland and the island's unique beauty and spirit. Tasmania has continued to inspire him and has been a continuous source of his artistic expression.

In 2003 Masaki Aihara, together with Fuji Film conducted and exhibition of his Tasmanian photography and was viewed by over 40,000 visitors to Fuji Film galleries across Japan. Last year a similar exhibition was held at the Wilderness Gallery at Cradle Mountain in conjunction with Fuji Film, Qantas, Tourism Australia and Tourism Tasmania entitled " Talking to the Spirits of the Land ".

This year Tourism Tasmania appointed Masaaki Aihara as a "Friend of Tasmania" to help promote Tasmania in Japan. Next year he will hold another exhibition with Fuji Film in Japan and feature his latest images of winter in Tasmania.