Changjiang Press released the book The Yangtze River by Japanese documentary filmmaker Ryo Takeuchi on Monday in Wuhan, Hubei province.

The book chronicles Takeuchi's 10-year journey along the river, capturing the lives and changes of the people living along its banks. Through down-to-earth stories, it also showcases the significant economic and social transformations in China.

Takeuchi expressed his awe for the Yangtze River, the mother river of China, saying he was initially struck by its grandeur and later amazed by its evolution, including innovations like the Three Gorges Dam ship lift, resettled communities moved into new homes, and an increase in the population of Yangtze finless porpoise.

Lai Yun from Wuhan, who grew up along the Yangtze River, described the river as a symbol of home and said the book has evoked a strong emotional resonance among readers.

From 2010 to 2011, Takeuchi filmed a documentary about the Yangtze River for the Japanese public broadcaster NHK. This time, he retraced the river and revisited some of the people he filmed more than 10 years ago.

Starting from Shanghai, he traveled upstream through cities like Wuhan and Chongqing, capturing footage for the documentary and compiling his observations into the book, which delves into the behind-the-scenes stories of the documentary.

"I told stories about China even when I lived in Japan, and I continue to do so now. I want to showcase the objective reality of China and the Yangtze River culture to the world," Takeuchi said.

"As I document, I also seek to understand China better. Next, I will film the Yellow River," he said.

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