How did your partnership with Kristalia begin?
In June 2015, during a trip to the Friuli region, I visited Kristalia for the first time and met Ruggero Magrini and the team of collaborators. We hit it off right from the start, and I felt that I could build a good working relationship with them.
What prompted you to choose Italy as a place to study?
I chose Italy because it has always been recognised worldwide for its quality design, manual expertise and know-how in the furniture sector. Artisans and manufacturers, people with commitment, dedication and a passion for their work, invest time in research and innovation to produce real high-quality products. They are experts with whom you can build a direct working relationship, which is fundamental to me.
Can we say that your creations combine Italian style, which you have assimilated over the years, with your origins?
Having spent exactly half my life in Japan and half in Italy, my projects definitely express a combination of the two cultures. I have always been interested in working on a common aesthetic theme between different cultures. To me difference is an essential quality in order to create.
You are familiar with our love for music. Therefore, it is only natural for us to ask you: What type of music do you listen to during your working day?
I generally listen to various genres of music. It depends on the design phase and on my mood. Recently, I have been listening to much piano-based music.
What inspires your work, where do you find inspiration?
I find inspiration in everything around me, in everyday life; reading, sketching, creating, listening, travelling…
Ramen, soba and udon noodles or Italian pasta?
It’s difficult to answer this question. I like them all.
Do you have a dream?
I don’t have any particular dream. It is important to me to live peacefully trying to improve myself every day.
How did the Holo project arise? What inspired you?
I found inspiration in nature, in things consumed by time. In the sculpted, almost monumental, shapes of rocks and stones moulded by wind and water. With the Holo table, I tried to recreate these shapes and sensations found in nature, through the “perfection” of industrial production. To enhance its beauty, I deliberately worked on the contrast between extremely rigorous, clear-cut lines and soft, sinuous and organic lines, such as those of the base support.
