2026-Week06

Week 3 Goals.

1. Meet MIYAMOTO Gakyu san and explore Kyoto from the inside 

2. Reflect on your own values and ways of thinking through his talk. 

Week 3 Summary

1.Who is Gakyu Miyamoto？

• Gakyu Miyamoto is a contemporary Buddhist sculptor and the founder of Miyamoto Kogei. He creates Buddhist statues and various woodcarving works. 

• During his university years, he studied fashion because he originally aimed to become a fashion designer.

•  After graduating, he encountered a Buddhist sculptor, was fascinated by the craft, and after nine years of training, he became independent and started his own work. 

2. What kind of work does a Buddhist sculptor do?

• A busshi is an artist who creates and restores Buddhist statues.

• They receive commissions from temples and shrines for special occasions that may occur only once in several hundred years.

• Mr. Miyamoto creates not only Buddhist statues but also ritual implements, daruma figures, and organizes workshops—working on a wide variety of woodcarving-related projects.

3. Let’s ask Mr. Miyamoto some questions!

Q: What should I do to go viral on Instagram or Twitter?

A: “Things you try to make go viral usually won’t. So I always prepared for the moment something did go viral. I also put a lot of care into the photos I post.”

Q: If social media didn’t exist, what do you think your current activities would look like?

A: “I can’t even imagine it. All TV interviews and messages from well-known people came through social media or DMs, so without SNS, my work wouldn’t have been seen by so many people.”

Q: I can’t decide on my future path.

A: “In your twenties, any failure is still forgivable. What’s important is to try what you want to do first.”