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A coffee shop owner who loves art
Autumn of Culture ①
The other day on our day off, my family and I went to the Fukuoka Art Museum after picking up our child from kindergarten.
The Collection Galleries have been renovated, transforming into a space where you can spend even more meaningful, focused time with each individual piece than before. If you haven't visited in a while, I highly recommend it!
I love art, and I feel that owning a piece offers value far beyond simply "decorating an interior" or "holding an asset." It is an irreplaceable experience that brings deep transformation to your daily life and state of mind.
People often ask me, "Isn't art super expensive, though?" Not necessarily! In fact, you can find many wonderful pieces—like prints—for around 10,000 yen (approx. $70).
Why not start by welcoming a single piece into your life—one that simply speaks to your heart at first sight?
Autumn of Culture ②
I'm a coffee shop owner who loves art. I posted about art a few years ago, but since then I’ve gained so much new knowledge and made so many fresh discoveries that I’m launching "Season 2"! I’d be delighted if you could sit back and enjoy reading when you have a moment.
My art mentor is Mr. Morita from Gallery Morita. Drawing on his insights and teachings once again, I’ll be sharing my own perspective here.
According to a recent document from the Agency for Cultural Affairs, the global art market is "recovering moderately, driven by a few ultra-high price ranges," while the Japanese market is "expanding steadily as attention from the rest of Asia grows."
With these trends in mind, I’ve organized three personal criteria for how I choose and buy art:
Buying for Love — Irrespective of market value, if a piece moves my heart and fits my budget, I buy it without hesitation.
Buying as an Asset — I check whether it is recognized in global markets, not just domestically. (...Though with astronomical price tags, I can’t actually buy these! haha)
Buying to Find the "Next Yayoi Kusama" — This is the true thrill of contemporary art. After researching whether the artist is in museum collections, whether their representing gallery has an international network, and what kind of collectors support them, I take a leap and buy if it fits my budget.
By the way, decades ago, Gallery Morita apparently sold a work by Yayoi Kusama for around 200,000 yen. Today, believe it or not, it commands a price tag of 60 million yen!
Going forward, through these perspectives, I hope to share the joy of owning art and the excitement of becoming a collector.
Autumn of Culture ③
Where do the works housed in museums actually come from? Broadly speaking, they come from two main sources:
Purchases made with public budgets
Donations from artists, their families, or collectors
Acquisitions are decided according to each museum's specific collection policy. For example, City Art Museums focus on works closely tied to local residents' lives, community, and unique urban culture. Prefectural Art Museums, on the other hand, highlight artists connected to the region (local artists or works originating from the prefecture).
If you look closely at exhibit captions, they often detail exactly how a work entered the collection. Last year, when I visited the Toyota Municipal Museum of Art, I noticed a piece captioned with "BUFFALO INC. (and the President's name)."
Upon returning to Fukuoka, I mentioned this to Mr. Morita, who told me, "That president is famous in the industry as a true art lover." Since then, I noticed that Buffalo's TV commercials feature many artists rather than typical celebrities, which deeply impressed me.
Autumn of Culture ④
【 The Collector 】
Whether a collector owns a single piece or multiple works, I always love hearing the stories behind how they became a collector.
I once asked Mr. Morita what kinds of people buy art. He told me some buy as much as they like, while others stand in front of a artwork for an hour and say, "Can you hold this for me? I promise to raise the funds in six months."
Some purely pursue their own passion, while others carry a deep sense of responsibility as owners. The president of Buffalo I mentioned last time is a perfect example of someone with pure love and responsibility.
Mr. Morita often says, "ART is meant to be passed down to future generations." Here is how I interpret his words: ART is culture itself—a mirror of its era. While a piece may be privately owned, it is something we must all nurture together.
This connects back to the question, "Do you buy the next Yayoi Kusama?" True ART doesn't lose its value easily. Supported not by money games, but by a consistent aesthetic vision and mutual trust among artists, collectors, and galleries who aim to preserve culture for the future, its true worth is protected and sustained.
Autumn of Culture ⑤
【 Money Games 】
Sometimes art is treated purely as a speculative asset and consumed like a commodity, where only numbers—prices going up or down—take center stage.
Basquiat was labeled in the art market as an "unconventional Black genius artist from the streets." He embedded intense discomfort and irony into his work regarding how he was being turned into an investment and consumer object by wealthy elites, forcing the world to acknowledge it.
As Mr. Morita puts it: "True ART does not depreciate. Being recognized in the global market is an absolute condition for ART."
Just like searching for the "next Yayoi Kusama," true ART isn't easily swept away by the waves of money games. Unswayed by temporary trends or price fluctuations, recognizing and supporting art's intrinsic cultural value is the "true aesthetic" required of artists, collectors, and galleries who protect and cultivate these works.
Autumn of Culture ⑥
【 Kyushu-ha 】
At the Fukuoka Art Museum, works by members of the "Kyushu-ha" group are on display almost every day in the Collection Galleries.
Formed in Fukuoka during the 1950s and 60s, Kyushu-ha operated under the banners of "Anti-Art" and "rebellion against the commercialization of art." Because of this, many of their works were created without any intention of ever being bought or sold in a market.
Art isn't limited to framed paintings. They incorporated everyday materials like asphalt, scrap metal, and industrial waste directly into their pieces, expressing a powerful protest and raw passion against "art as a commodity."
Though born out of an avant-garde spirit that rejected commercialization, today these pieces are recognized as indispensable works in postwar Japanese art history, preserved with great care in museums for their immense cultural value.
The photo shows a work by Takami Sakurai, the leader of Kyushu-ha, currently on display at the Fukuoka Art Museum.
Autumn of Culture ⑦
Since the beginning of this year, Mr. Morita has frequently used the phrase "From art to ART." It's a strong challenge to the industry: "Will you stay confined within the domestic Japanese market, or will you aim for the world stage?"
Overseas, ART is traded not merely as something to admire, but as a firm asset. Of course, that includes the vital aspect of "nurturing the next Yayoi Kusama."
Yayoi Kusama shouldn't be the only Japanese artist who commands global respect. Mr. Morita feels a growing sense of urgency that if the Japanese art world remains complacent domestically without looking outward, it will inevitably decline.
According to him, for ordinary "art" to evolve into world-class "ART," three essential elements must align:
Art Historical Evaluation
Backing from Top Global Galleries
Museum Collections & Institutional Support
When these three pieces lock perfectly into place, a work transcends temporary trends and evolves into "ART" with timeless value.
Autumn of Culture ⑧
Some of you have told me, "I’m really looking forward to this series!"—which is incredibly encouraging.
Thank you so much for taking your valuable time to read the ramblings of a coffee shop owner who just happens to love art.
Lately, more people have been asking me, "I’d like to try buying some art, but where should I start?" There is a wonderful event coming up that is perfect for anyone wondering the same thing!
【 ART FAIR ASIA FUKUOKA 2026 】
Venue: Fukuoka International Center
Dates & Times:
Oct 2 (Fri): 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Oct 3 (Sat): 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Oct 4 (Sun): 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Visiting individual galleries can feel intimidating, and nobody likes that awkward feeling of walking into a quiet room where you're the only visitor. At an art fair, numerous galleries and works come together under one roof, allowing you to browse freely at your own pace. You can also check the participating galleries and featured artworks on their official website in advance, so please take a look if you're interested!
Autumn of Culture ⑨
【 I Bought Another One... 】
It’s a work by Takami Sakurai, the leader of Kyushu-ha. Of course, it’s a print rather than an original painting, but I was thrilled to welcome it into my collection.
When I showed it to Mr. Morita, he laughed and said, "Great find! I almost want it for myself."
To be honest, right now the custom frame costs more than the artwork itself! (haha) But as I wrote in my previous post, real art is meant to be passed down through time. I hope to share it with all of you, treasure it as it grows in meaning, and perhaps let this piece inspire someone's future.
Autumn of Culture ⑩
【 Money Laundering 】
Mr. Morita says that nowadays, nobody steals ART—simply because they don't understand its value. In the past, amateur criminals would break in thinking, "I heard that painting is worth a fortune." But even if they stole it, they had no idea how to liquidate it, resulting in high risks for zero return.
Furthermore, art isn't like jewelry that can be melted down or repurposed. Between serial numbers and documented provenance, the trail leads straight back to where it belongs, making modern money laundering through fine art virtually non-existent.
Yet, despite being officially documented as masterworks by famous legends, many pieces remain missing. Perhaps lost to war, traded on the black market, or simply sleeping quietly somewhere out there... The romance and mystery endure.
To whom does Da Vinci smile?
Autumn of Culture ⑪
【 Wrapping Up Season 2 】
In Season 2, I shared a few deeper perspectives:
"The moment art becomes world-class ART"
"How to face the world as a collector"
I hope I was able to pass along a bit of the excitement—that buying ART isn't intimidating at all, but something genuinely fun and rewarding.
Once I soak in more knowledge and digest it thoroughly, I'd love to continue the story here again.
Thank you so much for following along!
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