The longer I stay in the USA, the more my sense of being Japanese becomes stronger. It feels as if I am reaching for who I was then verses now. It involves the way I look at things when growing up with the aesthetic and ethics of a Zen and Confucius upbringing - here are some examples. . . Being Natural, Respect and Accept things as they are. Do not kill (people / animal / nature). . . Empathy for everything. “While you are open and willing, you are able to see and sense the deeper meaning of what’s going on and find a beauty from the unexpected”. My installation of 2005, “Brooklyn Sidewalk” sums up this narration. Brooklyn Sidewalk I took my two dogs for walk early-mornings when I lived in Brooklyn. One Saturday morning, as we were out the door, I saw the light powdered snow had fallen in the street earlier. There was no traffic at all. As we walked the snow changed, becoming fluffy and a bit heavy. I felt we were the only living souls, and “Snow observes all sound” came to my mind. Peaceful and Still. We came upon the corner of a large brick apartment complex and turned right as usual. Then I found the white long pile in front of the entrance. I walked closer and saw the discarded objects out for recycling, each illuminated their shapes by white contours - old children toys, furniture, plastic ornaments, and all the house hold items. A family moved out from the apartment perhaps. In the middle I found a large doll, partially covered by the snow, one eye closed and one opened. It looked old, scruffy and used up. Things once treasured and loved become unwanted junk over time - nothing stays the same. . . We continued walking in the snow.