Kensuke Takahashi Returns to San Jose for His First Solo Exhibition in Northern California.
My first trip to Japan took me through several cities. The typical bucket-list destinations, plus Okayama, which probably isn’t one of them, but since San Jose is a sister city, I had to go and explore it for myself. I had a great breakfast made by the cutest elders, walked into a ramen shop where everyone quickly realized I had just made myself at home at a hyper-local spot, and headed to Yaoishima one day. That alone made my stay worthwhile. Over the following days, I checked several other cities off the list and eventually wrote about the trip.
Osaka was a fun stop where I linked up with a friend, Kosk, a videographer passionate about art and the artists participating in the Japan Walls festival, one of the sister cities to the Worldwide Walls collective. At that time, I still had a vast interest in murals, or maybe it was the adrenaline and excitement of being in Japan for the first time with one of my favorite people.
Kosk’s English is about as good as my Japanese, but we made it happen.
He had an itinerary for us, and the last stop was a mural tour. That’s when Kensuke Takahashi became the topic of conversation. We couldn’t believe that, at the time, Kensuke had such a small following on Instagram. Actually, it’s only doubled since then, and it still blows my mind how that’s even possible.
These synchronicities are the antidote to my role as a curator.
I want to take a chance on artists who need no introduction from an amateur writer like myself. The artwork always speaks for itself, and that’s the driving force behind what we do at Empire Seven Studios. Collaborating with the artists we curate brings new and unique perspectives to our audiences and supporters who believe in our curation.
The opportunities we create are intended for people to experience something new and seize the moments that someday could potentially not be accessible to us. Maybe one day the highest bidder or a blue-chip institution will finally have their eyeballs directed toward the greatness we’ve been seeing all along.
We are never going to conform to clichés or to what is easy. It’s a challenge to present something new and literally foreign to the local scene. And that challenge is exactly what makes it worthwhile.
Kensuke Takahashi is no stranger to art practice. He has spent two decades pursuing a full-time career as an artist, painter, and muralist based in his hometown of Yokohama, Japan, since 2005.
I would compare his imagination and work ethic to Hayao Miyazaki.
Yeah, I said that.
Not necessarily anime or manga, but because of the combination of imagination, mythology, nature, humanity, craftsmanship, storytelling, and an almost obsessive commitment to creating worlds.
Kensuke embraces his ancient culture, and like the many rulers and forces throughout history that have worked hard to erase the essence of sacred tradition, there are ambassadors who are determined to voice the contrary. It’s a force of human nature, a seed of DNA that denies the ability to conform to modernization mindsets. Natural-born historians with the ability to illustrate a higher power beautifully.
In 2025, we had the privilege of working with Kensuke for San Jose Walls, where he painted the mural right outside the gallery. From what we hear, it’s the BEST mural in the city.
If you’ve seen the mural, you know what we’re talking about. There’s nothing quite like it, especially considering the hundreds of walls we’ve painted and the gazillions of square feet of wall space we’ve covered over the years.
The mural depicts a family voyage—a sentimental abstraction connecting himself, his wife, and child while missing home life to travel abroad to paint.
There are no human figures in the composition. Instead, what you see are Shinto deities in voyage, like time travel in slow motion, hovering above the centered main tiger character.
At the top is a Sarutahiko Okami-type of character, more specifically a monkey guiding his companions into another realm, equipped with samurai armor and a natural gourd storing sake for the trip.
Then there is the “Tora,” the tiger, symbolizing fierce protection, resilience, and the power to connect with the earth. A perfect depiction of a mother’s love. She carries the “Shimenawa” around her neck, which also serves as a rein. Shimenawa mark a boundary between the human world and the pure, sacred space inhabited by spirits.
An egret, “Sagi,” symbolizes a pure creature that travels between the natural and sacred worlds. It travels with a traditional taiko drum dangling from its neck, wrapped in a child’s polka-dot patterned indigo-dyed handkerchief—a friend to the family, possibly contributing song and dance to the journey.
Lastly, not to be missed, is the three-legged crow, “Yatagarasu,” representative of his newborn son and a guiding light for anyone experiencing parenthood for the first time. The three legs have a variety of significance, but my favorite above all would be wisdom.
Kensuke shared the significance and inspiration of the mural once it was finished, but he also highlighted the importance of imagination and the freedom to interpret and make our own stories.
That idea feels especially fitting for Yaoyorozu｜八百万 the title for this exhibition.
A world where every thing carries a presence or a subtle spirit.
In Japanese culture, the number “eight” has long been associated with abundance, expansion, and infinity. The word Yaoyorozu reflects this sense of boundlessness — the idea that nature, objects, people, memories, and emotions are all interconnected through invisible relationships.
To me, that connection couldn’t express care and loyalty to one’s seed any deeper.
To me, it’s a visual poem describing the sacrifices and fruitfulness of a father and husband’s pursuit of happiness.
Family comes in many ways, and sometimes it’s the immediate community that surrounds you.
Public artwork brings us together to converse, making connections and finding relatability through different perspectives, regardless of opinions. The beauty is in pausing time to admire and read the paint strokes on the wall.
That’s why we decided to make a limited number of prints that will be signed by the artist, Kensuke Takahashi.
The mural was the beginning. Now we’re inviting you to look a little closer.
Opening reception: Saturday, October 3 from 6:00-9:00pm
On view October 3 - November 29, 2026
Empire Seven Studios
525 N 7th Street, suite 10
San Jose, CA 95112