[Thoughts and beliefs] The reason and trigger for me to start this activity.

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When I was a child, I decided that I wanted to do this in life.

"To protect the beautiful cultures of Japan and the world that are disappearing without us noticing."

In these busy days,

It was 20 years ago that I realized something important had been lost.

書籍：和蝋燭はつなぐ　Japanese candles

A childhood dream.

My first experience with traditional crafts was when I experienced "Ouchi-nuri", a lacquerware from Yamaguchi City, on a school field trip. It was a simple experience of applying lacquer to chopsticks and sticking gold leaf on them, but it seemed to have touched my heart even as an elementary school student, and I remember vividly declaring to my mother as soon as I got home, "I'm going to become a traditional craftsman!" Then, when I became a junior high school student, I belonged to the "Mingu Club" at school for two years, and on a school trip, I had the opportunity to experience a paulownia box workshop in Ueno, Tokyo, and I remember making an appointment and entering the campus of Tokyo University of the Arts to major in Japanese painting, which would be useful for traditional crafts someday. Unfortunately, when I went to high school, I did well in both sports and academics, and despite arguing with my advisor, I decided to pursue a sports career.

In the future, I want to do traditional crafts! Someday I'll live in Shirakawa-go, Gifu! I'll protect it! By Me when I was in elementary school.

I was moved once again by Nobuo Onishi's book.

Do you know the photographer Nobuo Onishi?

His book is amazing. Only those who have read it can understand the emotion. The photographs, expressions, and contents of the book touch my heart and I feel a strong resonance of love. I would like you to actually pick up a copy and read it.

Things we want to protect, things we want to preserve, and things that are disappearing.

There you can see a snapshot of something that Japanese people have cherished for many years.

When I picked up this book from my parents' house, I was overcome once again with the excitement and sense of mission I had felt as a child.

I am truly grateful.

Help preserve something beautiful for generations to come.

Yes, what I need to do is to do something to preserve Japan's beautiful culture, which is disappearing and may be in danger of disappearing, for the future.

Perhaps this phenomenon is not limited to Japan. Working to preserve the beauty of the Earth for future generations. This is the core of my philosophy, which has not changed even after living in many places and doing many different things.

I can't stop feeling excited.

What I'm going to do next is

To introduce the works of artists, mainly from Japan, and deliver them to many people around the world.

To let people know about it. To let people experience the nobility of Japanese beauty.

To allow people to experience the change in quality of life that can come from incorporating art and beauty into their lives.

We will donate a portion of this amount to Japan's World Heritage sites and cultural preservation organizations, making a small contribution to protect disappearing cultures.

There is very little I can do. It's insignificant. There are things that one person cannot do on their own, but with the help of many people, they can come true.

I hope that more people will agree with my beliefs and ideas.

I plan to post an article about Kyoto's traditional culture at a later date. I came across people who seem to be protected, but are actually struggling.

Please look forward to the sequel.