Photographer captures the beauty of Japan he has always dreamed of

For reasons none of us can fully explain, there is nothing better than feeling physically close to a loved one. Simple hugs that embody the love that we cannot fully express can give a person the strength to overcome any misfortune or tragedy.

Here are 15 photos that prove it beyond a doubt - and will make your heart skip a beat.

15 PHOTOS

1. American journalist Yuna Lee hugs her husband and daughter after two months of arrest in North Korea.

2. Chilean miner hugs his wife after spending 68 days underground.

3. Medical workers roam the streets of the destroyed city after the earthquake in Hanwang, China.

4. A man holds his son tightly on the fifth anniversary of 9/11.

5. A young girl hugs her cat, rescued from the ruins of his home after the earthquake in Indonesia.

6. Kelly Johnston, wife of a deceased Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer, hugs two officers during her husband's funeral.

7. A member of the search and rescue team comforts a woman after a hurricane swept through her hometown.

8. A man hugs his dog after being rescued from a house fire.

9. A man and a woman hug on a rooftop after Hurricane Katrina struck St. Bernard County, Louisiana.

10. A construction worker hugs his sister after surviving a building collapse in Lima, Peru.

11. Sigifredo Lopez, a lawyer, and politician, flees to meet his son after escaping from Colombian captivity. He was detained for seven years.

12. A polar bear hugs a zoo worker.

13. These two dogs, Kalu and Kira, who had no owners, had to be euthanized. This hug between them saved their lives - someone posted it on Facebook, and a few hours later the family volunteered to accept them.

14. A basketball player hugs his coach during a match.

15. A soldier hugs his dog after returning from service in Iraq.