I'm fascinated by books and letters.

I had the opportunity to see an exhibition of new works by Edward Ruscha at the Gagosian Gallery in New York, and I was captivated by his works, which humorously dealt with the meaning and power of words and were themed around books and letters. I was also taken aback by Dominique Gonzales-Foerster's work, which I saw in a nearby gallery. There were books spread out on a mound of earth.

They're just letters, but... we can feel, but we can only "think" through letters and words... I saw a sadness in them. It's quite poetic.

Whenever I travel abroad for business or pleasure, I always buy so many books that my suitcases are bursting at the seams. I'm not talking about collections of works, but books with reviews and interviews. I especially love museum bookstores.

Art museum bookstores are a concentrated expression of contemporary thinking, and the same books are on display no matter where you go. I'm always able to confirm global standards and make new discoveries. Especially in academic exhibitions, the related catalogs and books are often superior to the exhibits themselves. One of the joys of visiting a museum is getting a sense of the region's unique character through the selection of books on display. That's something you can't get on Amazon.com.

By the way, Japanese art museums are the only ones that don't stock the same books as overseas museums.

Japanese art museums only stock Japanese books, or even foreign books that emphasize visuals. There are no materials that address cutting-edge, global thinking, and the experience is limited to area studies. Perhaps it's because English books don't sell. I hope art museums, which play a role in promoting culture beyond profit, will put in a little more effort. My suitcase is about to burst from the weight of the books.