Street Lamp

I was born in Sapporo, in 1951. My introduction to photography came in an effort to escape the rigors of school. I went to a high school in Japan that is well-known for sending students on to good universities. I lived in the dormitory attached to the school, and all day I had to study. By the time I graduated from high school I was sick of studying. Hoping to enjoy an easy college life I told my parents that I wanted to major in photography. I was enrolled at Nihon University College of Art. Luckily, I got hooked by it and became serious later.

I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in photography in 1975. While at school I noticed a posting for a job with a Japanese TV commercial production company in the U.S. The position was for one year. I applied for the job in the hope that I would later find a job as a photographer in the U.S. I was hired and moved to Los Angeles.