At a certain moment, you feel as if you see the world differently. Things start to show you different images and meanings, even though you think you saw them before. You don't know what makes you feel that way.

To me, that is Art; it brings you different perspectives, which may change your values. I want my work to imply such potential.

My philosophy is rooted, at its core, in the Japanese culture and their spirit before the Meiji Restoration (1868) era. It is about what Japanese appreciated and valued, before Western culture started to influence the country. In particular, humor and satire expressed in "Shunga" art of the Edo period inspire me. Just like an old friend who knows my feelings, such art gives me a source of inspiration.

Such concept might have different values from those in the context of Western art. Still, my art work on our present era -- expressed in the "Iki" esthetic style of the Edo period and also with the Japanese traditional technique of lacquer arts -- will surely find, somewhere in its way, the meeting point of Oriental and Occidental values.