ABOUT

My family was deeply embedded in the enlightened merchant class of Kyoto since the 18th century. Once known as Machishu, it was a facet of society that was closely involved with the Chanoyu, "Way of Tea," otherwise known as Tea Ceremony. My grandfather was the ninth generation and the owner of our family kimono business, Matsubaya Shokai, which my father later inherited. They raised me, their only child, as they would have raised a male heir. They were both avid connoisseurs of Chanoyu culture, and their tireless education imbued me with an intuitive understanding of our art and culture from an early age. They and the ancestors had established a longstanding relationship with the closed art world in Kyoto.

I was one of the last generations to receive rigorous training in  aesthetic traditions because I grew up in a place where old customs endured long after WWII.

Though I may have been steeped in the traditions of the old way, I am no conformist. My father and grandfather raised me to break the rules of tradition elegantly. They would praise me for defying convention, but only if I had done so with flair. In this way, I developed a skill for subverting stereotypical aesthetic expectations. 

Early in my career, I deliberately took a break from Japanese art. I spent eight years exploring French and Chinese art, along with modern and contemporary American art, until I felt confident in returning to my roots with an expanded view. As soon as I returned to Japanese art, I've renewed longstanding relationships with a tea master, private art dealers, and collectors back in Kyoto, who became my mentors and provided entrance into Kyoto’s cloistered art market. I feel fortunate to be among the few granted the rare access to this world. Through my eclectic inventory of objects and paintings, I invite you to become a part of the evolving story of an ancient aesthetic tradition to create your exceptional living environment.