Tenure: 1985-March 2003
Appointed assistant director of the Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Fine Arts in 1972, he became the museum’s director in 1981. A noted historian of Western art, he wrote extensively about Japonism in particular. He was appointed the first director of the Setagaya Art Museum in 1985, and supervised the preparations for its opening in 1986. For the next 17 years he devoted himself to laying the groundwork for the museum’s development and providing leadership in all aspects of its operations. He retired in March 2003, receiving the title of Director Emeritus.
Tenure: April 2004-March 2024
After joining the Museum of Modern Art, Kamakura & Hayama as a curator in 1964, he served as chief curator, then assistant director, becoming director of the museum in 1992. In addition to planning and carrying out a variety of exhibitions featuring artists from both Japan and abroad, he engaged in extensive research and criticism in the field of modern and contemporary art. In 2004 he was appointed director of the Setagaya Art Museum and served in that position for 20 years until March 2024. During his tenure he actively promoted the expansion of the museum’s activities with a focus on acquisitions and a creative approach to exhibitions.