A Moment is a Treasure for a Lifetime

Nagato Farm in Nagano, which I love so much.

I painted my granddaughter, Koharun, jumping with all her might in the vast meadow.

Seeing her jump up again and again,
made everyone smile.
It is an unforgettable summer memory.

“Look! I’m going to jump.
Look! I’m high up.
Look! Look! Look!

A white dress frolicking with a smile.

At the farm she visited for the first time in her life,
she ran around the meadow to her heart's content.

Overflowing with innocent joy,
she jumped high toward the sky.

Drawn in by that smile,
everyone naturally started smiling too.

That summer day, wrapped in happiness.”


While painting, I wrote that poem.

Expressions and gestures that only exist for a moment
are irreplaceable treasures.

I am very happy
that I was able to capture that moment
when my heart was moved in a painting.

Her figure jumping high
with a beaming smile
is like a miraculous shot.

The shining green meadow,
the blue sky stretching on forever,
and the mountains in the distance.

While breathing in
the clear air to the fullest,
my granddaughter Koharun, my daughter and her husband, my husband,
and I,
ran through nature with all our might
and laughed together.

My granddaughter grows day by day,
and even if we don't see her for a little while,
she has grown surprisingly big.

On the other hand,
while adults may seem unchanged,
we are getting a little older, aren't we?

That is precisely why
I feel truly happy
to be able to capture in a painting
the expressions that can only be seen at that time
and the radiance of that moment.

I enjoy painting the current Koharun,
but the innocent smile of that day
will always be my treasure.
From now on, too,

I want to continue
cherishing and painting
each and every “now”
of the growing Koharun.