Okazaki City is one of the central core cities in Aichi Prefecture, and is easily accessible from Nagoya Station, about 30 minutes by Meitetsu Limited Express or 30 minutes by car, making it an ideal city for sightseeing and living. It is known as the birthplace of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and is known as a town where history and culture live. In particular, the Kosei area where Masayoshi Suzuki Gallery is located is familiar with the place name "Kosei", which means "the place where Ieyasu was born". Masayoshi Suzuki, the owner of Masayoshi Suzuki Gallery, located in the castle town centered around Okazaki Castle, is responsible for passing on the culture that has continued in the Kosei area to future generations.

How did you start the gallery?

Suzuki-san originally worked in design. In his 30s, he started spending more time with people from the generation above him who lived in Kosei, where he experienced a variety of cultures, including music and art. "At a time when roasting your own coffee beans was rare, there were people talking about music and art while enjoying coffee roasted by their friends. It was all new and fun."
Among the various cultures he was impressed by, he was most impressed by contemporary art. At the time, contemporary art was not well known in Okazaki City, but there was a contemporary art gallery that was working hard to spread the culture. After the death of the owner of a contemporary art gallery that he respected, Suzuki took over his aspirations and aspired to start a new gallery in Kosei, the place where the owner was last based.

Contemporary art and town revitalization

In 2006, the Aichi Prefecture Governor at the time announced the holding of the Aichi Triennale. Suzuki was convinced that this would be a great opportunity to promote contemporary art in Okazaki, and began to take his activities seriously. He explained the potential of contemporary art as a way to revitalize the town, for example by giving explanations about contemporary art at town meetings. Then, in 2013, the first Aichi Triennale was held in Okazaki. Contemporary art exhibitions were held in three areas that have remained since ancient times: the Oka Building at Higashi-Okazaki Station, the CIBICO commercial building from the bubble era, and Matsumoto-cho, which retains the charm of the Edo period. Such efforts not only attracted many visitors to Okazaki, but also helped local residents to rediscover the charm of their town and regain their pride.

Suzuki believes that the value of contemporary art is that it can be an opportunity to create new appeal by fusing "new values and perspectives" with "old places." The cultural awareness required to create new culture is something Suzuki inherited from the generation above when he was young, and it continues to live on in the present day.

The importance of cultivating cultural awareness

Suzuki's goal is to provide a place for people to enrich their minds. "Wearing your favorite clothes, drawing pictures, enjoying music, eating with loved ones" - to experience the joys of everyday life, it is essential to have a rich sense of sensitivity.

Suzuki says that the basis of his activities is to provide "what is necessary to enrich the soul." He says that he spares no time talking with the younger generation, and passionately shares the stories of his work from various perspectives with visitors. As a designer, Suzuki himself is sensitive to the times and trends, but he also emphasizes that "it is important to cultivate one's own original values, core values that each person wants to cherish, without being influenced by the times or trends." By talking with local people and visitors through the gallery, cultural awareness will spread ripples and connect the creativity that is essential to human life to the future. This gallery continues to quietly play its role today as a place to cultivate the sensibilities of its visitors.

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Masayoshi Suzuki Gallery

Address: STAGE BLD 2 1F, 3-20 Yasuo-dori Minami, Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture

Access: 10 minutes walk from the north exit of Higashi-Okazaki Station on the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line

HP: http://www.masayoshisuzukigallery.com/index.html

*For details on business hours and holidays, please check the link above.