Via itsmikolmota via Demilked.

Today’s fun link is the galleries of photographer Miyoko Ihara’s Misao and Fukumaru series.

Miyoko Ihara graduated from the Nippon Photography Institute in 2002. Around that time, she began photographing her grandmother, Misao, in order to document her life. One day, Ihara’s grandmother found an odd-eyed kitten in the shed. She named the cat Fukumaru, and since then the two have been inseparable. This touching and beautiful photo book captures the everyday life of elderly Misao and her steadfast feline companion, following them as together they work in the fields, admire spring blossoms, or nap in the sun. Both friends are hard of hearing, so it is endearing to witness the strength of their connection, enacted through sight and physical presence. Miyoko Ihara: Misao the Big Mama and Fukumaru the Cat

These are gorgeous photos of farm life in Japan, and–Excuse me, I can’t hear you over the sound of my heart melting.