Message from the Director

From an early age, I grew up watching my father’s back. His unwavering attitude toward works of art became the very origin that naturally guided me into this path. Despite its outward appearance, the world of antique art demands considerable physical strength, and the handling of delicate works is, in principle, done by hand. At art fairs, from booth installation to final dismantling, both focus and endurance are essential. After graduating from high school, I went on to university, but as I helped with our family business, Tenpyodo, I gradually began to see signs of my aging father’s declining strength. Witnessing this day by day, the desire to support him grew stronger within me, and at nineteen I began assisting him in earnest. Though it was a departure made with neither experience nor knowledge, I engraved in my heart the simple resolve to face each task with sincerity. It was during this period that I learned, through lived experience, that such steady accumulation is what matters most. The first things my father taught me were the standards of the industry and the proper handling of artworks. Everything—from the etiquette of receiving clients to the smallest gestures—was something I learned little by little by following his example in the field. What remains most deeply in my memory is his unshakable mental strength. No matter the situation, he never wavered; his constant composure carried a quiet reassurance that words could not fully express. My father passed away in 2018, yet over nearly two decades he imparted immeasurable lessons—from the foundations of the art world to the very ethos of being an art dealer. His teachings continue to live within me as an unwavering core, supporting my daily decisions and the way I engage with each work of art.

Cultivating a discerning eye begins with encountering as many works as possible and examining them directly. There is much that cannot be understood without actually acquiring a piece, and those I bring into my care are placed close at hand—displayed, used, and quietly lived with—so that I may fully experience their presence. Masterpieces possess a singular spiritual resonance, and through handling works with reliable provenance, I have come to feel that the ability to distinguish authenticity deepens naturally over time. At large, members-only auctions in Japan, one must select only a handful of pieces from among several thousand. To discern works that resonate without the slightest sense of discord, I approach each one with special attention and sincerity. Even when a piece ultimately slips beyond my reach, the very act of striving becomes nourishment for me as an art dealer, guiding my next steps with greater certainty. The joy of finally holding a long‑yearned‑for work in my hands, and the moment a client responds to it with genuine resonance—when these two experiences converge, the true pleasure of being an antique art dealer fills my heart with profound depth. In an age when convenience accelerates rapidly through technologies such as AI, I feel an unchanging sense of purpose in passing on “beautiful things” that enrich the human spirit. That, above all, is why I continue along this path.

The name Tenpyodo was bestowed by my father, imbued with his admiration for the Tenpyo era of the Nara period—a time when beauty reached a state of profound maturity. Beauty enriches the heart and brings a quiet grace to everyday life. In collecting art, the most important principle is to choose pieces that one can genuinely enjoy and feel to be truly beautiful. Encountering an art dealer whose sensibilities align with one’s own deepens the joy of collecting and provides a reliable guide along the journey. At Tenpyodo, cultivating a discerning eye is both a duty and a promise. We handle works that carry an uplifting allure and those that resonate deeply with the senses, treating each piece with care as we introduce these encounters to our clients. We cherish the irreplaceable moments of connection—between people and objects, and between people themselves—and aspire to be a warm and welcoming place where culture and tradition are passed on to the next generation.