Q. Mr. Shiozawa, you have a lot of talent. Have you been interested in these various areas since you were a child? What was the reason you were attracted to art and percussion?

I was not as strong as a child. I was not well. I was raised in a family who was devoted to Buddhism. When I was sick, my parents changed the Buddhist Sutra. For me, it was a little frustrating.

But, there was a huge Nichiren-san Buddhist statue in my house. These circumstances had an effect on my interests. Well, I did not go to school because I got sick easily and sometimes I was bullied. So, I drew pictures, went fishing, and so on…(laughing). I made clay Buddhist statues in Kawara and let them float away. I was kind of an odd child. When I painted, I used the colors of gray and purple for the sky. The school teacher was upset at this and called my mother. It made me feel bad. But, my mother did not accept such criticism and prejudice towards me. She said to the teacher, “Which color is the real sky?” The sky is sometimes gray like that of French painter Maurice Utrillo. I insisted that I paint exactly as I saw the sky. But, the teacher forced me to paint the sky with blue color. I hated doing that!

That’s why the result of my art drawing skill was also bad. It was not interesting at all. It was boring. Why did I have to make the same thing exactly as other students? I did not want to do that! I did not want to go to school. So, I got sick. Naturally, I did not go to school the entire first semester. After that, I did not understand some subjects at all especially mathematics. From the 5th grade of elementary school, I sensed that I needed to decide my future. Perhaps my intelligence quotient was such that I could never go to a good university, so I became deeply involved in drawing paintings and playing guitar and drums. Of course, I did it for some other reasons too! I thought it was popular with girls and I could get their attention. I was desperately driven, with all my might, to do that all the time. Then, when I was in my second year of high school, I saw The Life of Leonard Da Vinci. I was so impressed and thought that art was my only occupation. You know at school, we were asked to fill in a questionnaire for our future plans at that time. The high school students seriously start to think what they would like to be for their professional job. Some wanted to be an employee of a company, a public servant, or a policeman, etc. For me, I wrote in Leonardo Da Vinci on the requested sheet. Then, the teacher mentioned to me that there was no such job as Leonardo Da Vinci. (Smiling). The teacher thought I was a brat and did not understand it. Therefore, there was no way of escape for me. There was art, which is the only way for me to live. The only escape was art!

– Mmm. But, I am sure there are many people who sympathize.

Yes, that is why I try to do something for the children suffering with Domestic Violence. I went to the facility to rescue such children and do music with percussion to help them.

Q. In your profile, you hold the title of Art Director. Would you explain more about this job?

It’s work that brings together artists. This job is to manage the artists to make something complete. I am like the Carpenter’s Master Conductor who selects the person as the photographer, the designer, etc. No, more like a composer, it is much better to hear (smile). For example, I select Nobuyoshi Araki for this type of photo, or for that type of photo I select Kishin Shinoyama – – like that. It comes out intuitively from the client. I follow my inspiration when I get the project from the client. It’s like getting people together for a job, making them into one form, and then making them into posters, books, magazines or changing them into different forms. I select the professional individual and make the complete project. It is like I make something with a different approach.

Q. We heard that you interviewed the prolific abstract, avant-garde artist TARO OKAMOTO before. (Okamoto also associated with Pablo Picasso) I imagine that it was not so easy. What kind of concept did you prepare for the interview?

He was really an amazing gentleman and so kind.

At that time, there was the magazine called “Studio Voice” and I had a contract as the art director in that magazine for about a year and a half. I had the chance to meet many artists I was interested in during that time. Then, I tried to get TARO OKAMOTO for the interview article. The theme was “The way of Genius reading”. An interview about what kind of book to read to become a genius with the theme of “genius reading technique”. The main topic is… What kind of book did you read and become a Genius? That is interesting, is it not?

He had already met Pablo Picasso, Georges Bataille and other old philosophers. You know, I was designer and I did not go to school, so I didn’t study like that. When I heard the name of Bataille, I had no idea. I believe that he had sensed it and also I was honest. I said, “Well I will take a note of it and read his book later.” Then he suddenly said, “No, it would be better to hear what you like instead of talking about my time in Paris.” To me, he was really a great man. Because there were so many men who would show off their knowledge, but might only know the surface?

Of course, he gave us the selection of books and I read every book he recommended. Then, I understood that he “himself” was made up through these types of books. Soon, my relationship with him became so close, that I sometimes joined his parties. I also had the opportunity to release a book with Toshiko, his wife. Since Taro Okamoto’s passing, I helped to build his memorial hall and continued the friendship with his family for a long time.

There was a very interesting episode during the interview. At that time, Taro Okamoto had Parkinson’s disease, but was still very active.

When I went to his home, he was working to make a sculpture in his atelier. He came in wearing a yellow polo shirt covered with a lot of gypsum and said, “Well, is it OK to have the interview like this?” I said, No…no. We need to take some photos of you. Toshiko (His Wife) recommended that Taro take a shower and brought him to the bathroom. Then, he asked me what kind of clothing he should wear. I said, “It would look better to wear a suit, like a three piece suit for a gentleman.” Then, he appeared in an iridescent color suit with a big necktie like a bib (smiling), which was designed by him. He came into the room saying, “Is this good?” We were very much astonished and said, “Of course, it is great!!!!”

And then, the photographer took the photos during the interview. We mentioned to Taro, to please relax to answer the questions.

But, he was always striking a pose (his unique pose with open arms – please refer to the photo like Mr. Shiozawa above) when the photographer put the camera toward him. It was like the children’s game similar to Red Light Green Light. We smiled and said to him, “Well, you can relax and it would be good to take a photo of your relaxing pose.” Then, he said, “No. No. This is my relaxing pose!” That was his unique philosophy and was very funny. I dreamed of being a man like him.

It was a momentary encounter. And at that moment, I became a Taro fan completely! Being Japanese, there was only Taro at that epoch to make a very strange eccentric life so rare a thing, into a life of feeling quite comfortable and normal. As you know, the Japanese people look around and try to adjust their actions with other people. But, Taro would not!

What he frequently said was, “Live Free of Charge”. In other words, live without any handouts and do not have a big purpose. We normally think, well, then we cannot live. Taro did not mean that. He meant – – the most important thing in life is to thoroughly pursue what you want to do without being given money. That is most important for all of us. If you get the money from other people, you do not have any freedom to make or do what you want.

Therefore, it would be good to find a person who has the same feeling for our work.

Sometimes, it is not always good to pay our respect to other people. I was so inspired by him in good way. That’s why I think he had a great influence. I have never met such a person. I think that there is no person like Taro. He may not be human in a sense. (Laughing)

Now under the circumstances of Covid-19, I think that culture gradually declines and breaks down. I would like to stop it with making something. A request was made for me to draw a waterfall 20 meters high. To be honest with you, I would just like to show the next generation of young people that a good old man is doing such a silly, funny and strange artistic thing.

Q. Could you explain in detail about the current project you are working on?

Yes, it is Nobunaga Oda (Japanese lord regarded as the first “Great Unifier” of Japan) at the right side and Mitsuhide Akechi (Japanese Samurai General) at the left side. The opportunity was brought to me like this. I completed the painting of Nobunaga Oda for the Hotel Honnoji(which is the very famous temple where Nobunaga was assassinated by Mitsuhide).

It was a temple I had a relationship with in Kyoto, so I brought that plan to the hotel, but the hotel was closed for a while due to Covid-19. That project was not settled yet. I completed this with the concept to draw what I imagined. It is the best timing because of the big television drama of NHK World Japan broadcasting“ KIRIN GA KURU” (Awaiting Kirin) which is now on the air. The story is based on these two people. Nobunaga riding on a Red Dragon. Nobunaga is Blue Fudo(Immovable). Then, the red one is (Aizen myoo-wisdom king ) Mitsuhide (Japanese Samurai General) – The men have two roles in my painting.

Nobunaga Oda’s star is the North Star. The position of the North Star does not change. Therefore, God represents the guideline for going straight toward my purpose. Mitsuhide is Septentrion (the Big Dipper). Their common purpose is to make world peace in Japan. In history, it was said that Mitsuhide recognized the difference, the way of approach for peace and as a result, he betrayed Nobunaga and killed him. . Well, there was regret and it was a story of rebellion. But, I have a different interpretation. Those two people have the same goal to terminate the era of provincial wars. Because they both know that the further death of people means that Japan will not develop. The methodology was different. They had different approaches to accomplish their goal. Eventually, they both thought that the power was necessary to force the people to stop the civil war and to make the country good. I think the conclusion was that the two decided to use force, stop fighting, and work together to create Japan. I drew it to express their intension with scattered petals of the lotus from the hand of Mitsuhide toward the dragon on which Nobunaga rides, whereby the lotus petals will change into squama (scales) of the dragon. I drew the flower petal, which is a symbol of Buddhism (Lotus Sutra) to connect those people; I really wanted to pray for the world peace and prosperity of humankind. In this way, the relationship between the two people is depicted as a common person, with the lotus flower, which is the symbol of the Hokke Sutra, holding the two. I painted this in hope of eternal peace and prosperity of humanity.

-Is that the very important point of this painting that you are cherishing?

Yes, I wish that they went to the heaven and understood each other, then brought us what they want. I put that thought into my painting.

The painting has lots of freedom. We can freely paint by our thoughts even passing through space and time.

Q: Please tell us about your future plans and activities.

Right now, it is very difficult to exhibit my works at any live event due to the Covid-19 circumstances. It would be good to have my ZOOM exhibition by calling the director of NHK’s Sunday Museum Program and send the message of my painting to the global audience. You can do that on general social media too! So…I’m wondering if I’ll show all of my work via the internet, social media, and Instagram, etc…?

Q. What does art mean to you?

Well, art is everything for me. If you do not live in this way, the image will not come down (receive it). Otherwise, the image will not fall into my head. I am not the one who just draws the rose flower or Mt. Fuji.

Here, the image for this drawing of the dragon came to me when I actually visited that place. This dragon painting comes out when I look at the actual land – – from above. Just come out and draw close to it. If that kind of thing doesn’t come, that’s the scariest thing. If you don’t take art as everything in your life, you won’t be able to draw it. You live with that intention. I am so afraid if those images will not come to me. Since I just draw the image which I got and refine the image to the painting.

Therefore, art means everything in my life.