Country: Japan
About me
My father loved drawing watercolor pictures, and I saw him drawing pictures, when I was young. After I retired from business and education at the age of seventy in 2021, I started to draw watercolor pictures rather seriously, however, it has been a very slow process. Once a month I visited the watercolor class of Mr. Kunio Yamada, who was a Fabriano Acquarello 2023 winner, I have lived in Kyoto last twenty years. I am very fascinated by the city. Kyoto was the center of the Japanese historical development. The city has rich cultural tradition. For a painter, one of the best things to live in Kyoto is that the city has so many attractive things to draw. Kyoto is also the city of education. There are more than fifty universities, and more than ten percent of citizens are students. Not only tradition, but also young pop culture you can find in Kyoto.
I am Professor Emeritus of Kyoto University. I joined Kyoto University as Professor of International Center in 2004. I taught economics, but because of my international experience, I was promoted and worked as Vice President for International Affairs of Kyoto University from April 2009 until 2016, and I led the internationalization of the university. Before joining the university in 2004, I had worked at Bank of Tokyo Mitsubishi Bank for 27 years. I stationed in Tokyo, Frankfurt and New York. I was Chief Economist at Institute of International Monetary Affairs for 4 years.
After my retirement from Kyoto University in 2016, my wife and I decided to live in Danang, Vietnam for two years and both taught at Danang University of Economics.
I speak Japanese, English and German fluently. I am also a good marathon runner. During my business and education career, I always carried a small watercolor painting box and marathon wears, wherever I made business trips. I cannot imagine how I can spend my life now without these two hobbies.
