CURRENT MISSION

Find a way to make money drawing stuff.

ABOUT ME

I've been living in Japan on and off for 11 years.

I have built several art studios in the middle of a small town, 2.5 hours north of Tokyo.
I run an art residency in from May to October and have recently started an NPO to find new uses for buildings in town. The main building for artist accommodation has 9 bedrooms, so if there is space it would be great to meet new people.
The studio, Shiro Oni, organizes workshops, exhibitions.
the website for the program is: shirooni.com .

I also help fire an anagama wood-fired kiln in the area twice a year. (in 2015 is the first week in May and the first week in November.)

my art:
I mostly paint and draw. I dont consider myself a potter but I worked as an apprentice in Tamba Sasayama , Hyogo Japan and have visited many ceramics towns around the country. I use a lot from what I learned from ceramics in my drawings and paintings.

Cycling.
I used to cycle a lot and have had several couchsurfers on bike trips stop by.
-2006 to present: Kuota Kharma.
20,000+ km around Japan to date.
-2003 to present: Kona Caldera. My first "real bike" . Its taken me all over Japan and the US and a bit of Indonesia. While it has mostly been a general-purpose and touring bike, I love riding trails whenever I have the chance.

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

definitely have a place for you to stay...
if you happen to be passing through this area and want to go hiking, cycling, attend one of our workshops in the summer (free) or you like making pottery or drawing, there is usually something going on. often times my friends and I work with a local painter making theater sets for flamenco dances in tokyo.

also, while I'm not very much into organic farming, a lot of people around here are and someone usually has some project where they are looking for another hand.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I have only had people stay with me so far. most people who I've met through couchsurfing has been incredibly cool, exciting and filled with life.
I would recommend couchsurfing to anyone

Interests

Hiking across any mountain,
Cycling in the countryside- as far away from cities and cars as possible.
Drawing, painting, animation, photography, music, and stirring shit up whenever possible.

• arts
• theater
• photography
• flamenco
• running
• cars
• pottery
• painting
• drawing
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• scuba diving
• animation

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

ran into a bull shark scuba diving

Countries I’ve Visited

Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand

Countries I’ve Lived In

Japan, United States