Going back to 2007 , about 3-4 years after I started learning glass art on my own, I wanted to have a solo exhibition in a proper venue, not at a department store event. So I started holding solo exhibitions at a small gallery in Ishikawacho, Yokohama. When I held the exhibition, quite a few people came all the way from Kansai to see it. At some point, I started to feel bad for people spending their time and money on travel to come to the gallery, and I decided that I had to have a solo exhibition in Kansai. So in 2009 , I traveled to Kyoto, Osaka, and Kobe to find a gallery.
Without any particular destination in mind, I wandered around many galleries in each city until I finally found Tor Gallery. The owner was wonderful, and it was on the first floor along a large road with beautiful white walls. And more than anything, the atmosphere of the town was similar to Ishikawacho in Yokohama. Both have a port, Chinatown, shopping streets, and foreign-style houses. And they have the open-mindedness that is unique to port towns, not refusing new things. With these similarities in mind, I made a reservation on the spur of the moment, and in 2010 , I had my first solo exhibition in Kobe.
My wish, which hasn't changed since 10 years ago, is to "have a memorable experience/shopping experience." To achieve that, the gallery needs to be a decent size, and it needs to have facilities that make it easy to express what I want to do. What has been important, and will continue to be important, is how to present the works in a comfortable way. I think it's about improving the quality of the customer's purchasing experience.
Motomachi/Sannomiya has also changed little by little. It may not be the right way to compare the city's scenery, which has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, with that of two years ago. Will the wounds have healed and the city's vitality have returned by this time next year? I love this city, so I want it to return to its original state soon, and I want Kobe's potential to be shown off even more. Will I be able to continue to perform at my best in this city, or will I choose a place that suits me better now? I don't know for myself, but I'm looking forward to it. I want to keep a close eye on the city and the times so as not to lose sight of what's important. 
#7-Memories of Kobe