・Background ：The photography exhibition "Interacting with Stones" by Michiko Chiyoda, certified as an official KG+ program, will be held at Myoshin-ji Taizo-in from May 2 to 10, 2026. During the same period and at the same venue, Katsuhiro Kinoshita’s exhibition of calligraphy and ceramics, "Traces of Water, Vestiges of Fire," will also be on view. To explore the spirit of these two artists, we are hosting a dialogue with Daiko Matsuyama, Vice Abbot of Taizo-in, who is known for his interfaith activities across the globe.

・Concept ：At the heart of creation, we are constantly asking questions. Michiko Chiyoda, who focuses her lens on the vast time held within stones, and Kinoshita, who entrusts himself to the natural power of ink and earth. These two artists, giving form to sensations that cannot be put into words, pose their own questions to Daiko Matsuyama, Vice Abbot of Myoshin-ji Taizo-in.
The first half of the dialogue explores the specific questions encountered during the creative process: the nature of "stillness" and the difficulty of letting go of intent to reach a state of "no-mind." In the second half, the focus shifts to the act of "inquiring" itself. We ask Matsuyama once again: what does it truly mean to inquire?
Perhaps to "inquire" is not a means to find a solution, but a way to resist easy understanding and remain within the depth of the unknown. Through this dialogue, we seek the true meaning of holding onto our questions as we live through the chaos of the modern world.

・Speakers
Daiko Matsuyama
Vice Abbot of Myoshin-ji Taizo-in Zen Buddhist Temple

Born in Kyoto in 1978. Graduated from the Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Tokyo in 2003. After completing three and a half years of ascetic training at Heirin-ji Temple in Niiza, Saitama, he was appointed Vice Abbot of Taizo-in in 2007. His efforts in promoting and exchanging Japanese culture earned high acclaim, leading to his appointment as a Visit Japan Ambassador for the Japan Tourism Agency in 2009. In 2016, he was selected by Nikkei Business as one of the "100 People Creating the Next Generation" and became a fellow of the "US-Japan Leadership Program." Since 2018, he has served as a visiting lecturer at Stanford University. He received the Commissioner for Cultural Affairs' Award (Agency for Cultural Affairs) and the Shigemitsu Award (Japan Society of Boston) in 2019. Since 2021, he has served as an Outside Auditor for V-cube, Inc. and is a member of the Kyoto City Board of Education. In 2011, he represented the Japanese Zen sect in an audience with the former Pope at the Vatican. In 2014, he met with the 14th Dalai Lama as a representative of Japan’s young religious leaders. He continues to engage with various religious leaders and global figures worldwide, including participating in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting (Davos). He was appointed as a Kyoto Tourism Ambassador in September 2022.

Katsuhiro Kinoshita

Born in Tokyo in 1954
1976: Joined Ikko Tanaka Design Studio
1986: Established Design Club Co., Ltd.
1998: Professor at Yokkaichi University
2007: Professor at Tama Art University

Publications: Homage to Ikko Tanaka, Design "Ki" Katsuhiro Kinoshita
Permanent Collections: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum; Chicago Public Library/Art Museum; Museum für Gestaltung Zürich; Museum Angewandte Kunst (Frankfurt); National Diet Library, and many others.

Over the course of nearly half a century in graphic design, I encountered the way of tea (chanoyu). From that encounter, I found that when I moved my brush as the ink desired, calligraphy was born on the washi paper; when I finished a piece honestly, as the clay whispered, a tea bowl came into existence. Just like my design work, it was a natural conclusion.

・First Solo Exhibition
"Water and Fire"
March 2025, Gallery JUNKO KOSHINO

Michiko Chiyoda

After working as a graphic designer and for an optical equipment manufacturer, Michiko Chiyoda transitioned to life as a photographic artist. In addition to holding solo exhibitions both in Japan and abroad and participating in numerous group exhibitions, her achievements include receiving awards in open competitions and having her work held in the permanent collections of art museums and photographic foundations. Driven by a desire to contribute to society through photography, she also dedicates herself to documenting Japan’s traditional culture and performing arts. In recent years, she has been developing projects to raise awareness for the preservation and inheritance of cultural heritage through exhibitions and publications of her documentary work, which records the meticulous process of restoring Buddhist statues.

Permanent Collections: Museum of Photographic Arts at SDMA (San Diego, CA, USA); Fondo Malerba per la Fotografia (Italy); Tennonzan Gohyaku-rakanji Temple (Tokyo).

Duration: 90 minutes
Language: Japanese
Capacity: 50
Fee: Free (Taizo-in entrance fee of 700 yen required)
Reservation: Reservations required
How to Reserve: Reservations can be made via the website from April 1st. First-come, first-served basis.
Reservation site: https://www.ideaworksp.com/
Please make your reservation by 4.28 Tue.