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About My Art & Journey

The Story Behind Every Brushstroke

"I am not a makeshift artist—I am a genuine artist, like Vincent van Gogh."

Like van Gogh, I never attended art school. I went to public school and public university, majoring in economics—not art. My parents were not educated, and growing up on a family farm in poverty, I learned early what it means to struggle financially. Art was my only favorite subject in early childhood—I was interested in art from a very young age—but I had little free time and no money for paints or art supplies. Due to my unstable financial situation throughout my life, I started creating artwork much later. Though I may appear to be a late bloomer, the artist within me never died.

My Fighting Spirit & Love of Sport

My competitive nature was forged early when I became a table tennis champion in junior high school. I competed hard for that championship, developing a fighting spirit, diligence, and perseverance that never dies—even though I no longer compete physically in sports. That same drive now fuels my art, where I compete to make my name as an artist with the same dedication I once brought to the table tennis table.

Today, I'm passionate about watching sports and celebrating athletic excellence. I love comeback stories in sports, fair play, and true sportsmanship. I admire athletes who compete at the highest level while following the rules and maintaining integrity. Baseball holds a special place in my heart, particularly Shohei Ohtani, whose amazing athletic ability, intelligence, and great character fill me with Japanese pride.

I follow American football—both NFL and college—the Olympics (summer and winter), tennis (especially Wimbledon, the French Open and the US Open), and all forms of sporting competition that showcase human excellence. I make time for the big games: World Series, World Cups, Olympic competitions. What draws me to sports is the same thing that drives my art: the pursuit of excellence, the dedication to craft, and the courage to compete at the highest level.

My Unique Perspective

My art emerges from a lifetime of deep human experience—both beautiful and ugly. I've studied humanity through:

Ancient civilizations & lost knowledge - Fascinated by the lost technologies of ancient civilizations including Egypt, the Aztecs, Incas, and Easter Island, the non-linear nature of technological progress, and megalithic cultures found across the globe. Studied the evolution from ancient civilizations to modern democracies, particularly how the philosophical foundations laid by Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle remain relevant to contemporary society.
Religious understanding - Born into Buddhism and Shintoism in Japan, later learned about Mormonism from missionaries, and studied Christianity and Catholicism during my time in the USA. This diverse spiritual journey has given me insights into different ways humans seek meaning and transcendence.
Self-reliance - Making barely enough money to support myself while pursuing knowledge, learning to find meaning and purpose even in financial struggle, understanding the reality of economic hardship that shapes so many lives.
Diverse education - Deep study across multiple disciplines including economics, geopolitics, Japanese and German literature, English literature, classical music, and film studies. This multidisciplinary approach reveals the interconnectedness of human expression and thought.
World travel - Experiencing world-renowned museums including the Louvre in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London, the Van Gogh Museum, Anne Frank House, and the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, among others across Europe and America. Living in different countries, witnessing firsthand how culture shapes perspective and how universal human themes transcend borders.

The Central Question

These experiences and observations of daily life raise profound questions about whether humanity has truly advanced or progressed. When we witness the ongoing senseless war as Russia invades Ukraine, Israel's struggle for survival amid regional conflicts, global terrorism, and the widening gap between rich and poor—with wealth concentrated in fewer hands while homelessness, human trafficking, and heinous acts of violence against the innocent persist—we must ask: have we as a species actually progressed? Despite our technological capabilities and international institutions that seem powerless to prevent atrocities, the fundamental human struggles for peace, justice, and dignity continue. How do we reconcile our ancient wisdom with these modern failures?

My Journey

I was a table tennis champion in junior high and a top-class student in high school. Though I ran for student vice president and failed, I fell in love for the first time and found my first girlfriend. She was perfect as a life partner - cute, sweet, and possessed a creative mind as a member of the literature club. However, my romance didn't work out. I wasn't a cheater, but at the time, my hunger for knowledge caused me to neglect her. My obsession with learning overshadowed my romance, and my loving feelings gradually faded away. Once they did, I realized how much I truly loved her. I never thought my feelings toward her would change, but they eventually did. Since then, I've carried this heavy burden and began to doubt myself. I believed I would never love anybody again because my commitment had proven so weak and breakable, and I feared I might hurt someone else again. I didn't trust myself anymore. I was so young and stupid to let her go, and because of this, I was left with indelible scars on my heart for the rest of my life.


In college, I became an active member of student organizations while belonging to the art club as an extracurricular activity. During college, I immersed myself in literature—reading Japanese(Tohson Shimazaki, many more), German (Goethe, Thomas Mann, Herman Hesse, many more), and English literature (Emily Brontë, Louisa May Alcott, many more). After classes, I spent countless hours at a famous café where local symphony orchestra players hung out, in their record listening room. I would read and request records, extensively listening to my favorite classical composers (Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, many more).


I visited Europe for the first time while still in college, traveling with a handful of students and our German language teacher who was returning to his German wife during summer break. We explored many cities in Germany, Paris in France, London in England, and Amsterdam in Holland. I eventually became chair of our university's biggest annual student festival—a 5-day event with a major budget. After graduating from 4-year college in Japan, I sang Beethoven's 9th Symphony in amateur chorus.


When I came to the USA, I studied cosmetology and computer science at community college in Pasadena and became a licensed cosmetologist. I also earned MCSE, A+, and Network+ certifications, and self-taught myself web development and Photoshop. I learned to play pool for the first time and became a champion, beating many experienced Mexican pool players in bars. I took salsa dance lessons once a week for one year, but without a partner, the dream of being a salsa dancer never really took off. I became a passionate movie buff, watching countless Hollywood films and building a small collection of over 1,200 DVDs in my apartment, as movie watching served as both my hobby and a great tool for learning casual English without spending a lot of money.


I also watched every presidential election, learning American democracy by following candidates' movements and stump speeches. I studied how politicians manipulate and are manipulated by big network media and social media. My interest has always been in how democracy works, because when I was in Japan, I had serious doubts about so-called Japanese democracy. I observed that political parties barely engaged in meaningful policy discussions in public forums outside of parliament. Election campaigns in Japan seemed particularly bizarre to me - candidates would drive around cities and rural areas in vans with massive megaphones mounted on top, blasting their messages during campaign season. That's what they called campaigning, but it seemed obvious that nobody wanted to listen to that noise. I dreaded election time because it created nothing but cacophony. The core democratic principle of checks and balances didn't seem to function as expected in Japan, and I was concerned about one conservative party maintaining control for so many years after World War II. Although the Japanese constitution was based on the American constitution, it didn't work as promised on paper.


Now, having lived in the USA for a long time, I can conclude that the more I learned about American democracy, the more flaws I discovered here as well. This was not what I had expected because I believed American democracy was superior to systems anywhere else in the world. However, American history has not always been bright. Native Americans would likely tell a very different story. Hypocrisy exists everywhere. I learned that politics is dirty, truth is rare in politics, and corporations with vast financial resources influence election results in their favor by using interest groups, lobbying groups, advocacy groups, and various forms of political funding and campaign donations, essentially buying votes through these multiple channels.


In America, things seem to be getting worse year after year. Young and old alike are becoming obsessed with looking good on camera and focusing on material possessions and style, but they're hollow inside. Look at the President of the United States, Donald Trump! - a perfect example of this phenomenon. Here's someone who dodged the draft yet pretends to be a patriot before cameras and massive audiences. A womanizer and home wrecker who acts like a devout Christian to win over American voters. A man whose businesses have gone bankrupt multiple times, yet presents himself as a successful businessman while the world watches. It's like watching a badly scripted reality TV show. Young people follow these superficial trends without substance. People get caught up fighting over petty issues while seemingly ignoring major global concerns like Russia invading neighboring peaceful countries with no ending. I wonder where America is heading in the next century. Is America's era soon to be the past? I wonder.... (This section grows beyond my original scope, so I moved it to the right place here! under the title, "Reflections on Today's America" if you are interested in.)

What Makes My Art Special

When you purchase my work, you're not just buying art—you're acquiring:

  • A piece of history - My journey from poverty to wisdom, shaped by competitive spirit and perseverance
  • Authentic truth - Art based on reality, not fantasy or illusion
  • Deep understanding - Decades of studying human nature, society, and culture through multiple lenses
  • Rare perspective - The vision of someone who has lived, struggled, competed, and learned
  • Fighting spirit - The same determination that made me a champion, now channeled into artistic excellence

My Philosophy

Like a monk searching for truth, I explore human nature—our greed and ugliness, but also our capacity to overcome and become beautiful. My art celebrates those rare souls who beat the odds to become extraordinary, just as great athletes overcome challenges to achieve greatness.

I don't create from imagination alone. Every piece reflects genuine human experience, wisdom earned through hardship, and an appreciation for life's profound moments—including the beauty of fair competition and the triumph of the human spirit. This is what makes my art authentic and lasting.

My roots run deep. My perspective is solid. My competitive spirit burns bright. My art tells the truth.

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