Meet Kuniharu Yoshida

We were lucky to catch up with Kuniharu Yoshida recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kuniharu, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I was interested in dance from a young age; especially the hip-hop genre. It was a no-brainer for me to embark on a career that had some elements of dance, and I was luckily able to find it through my work as a calligraphy artist.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, into a family of generational Master Calligraphers, and am currently based in Los Angeles, CA.

In 1990 at the age of six, I began to learn Japanese calligraphy under Master Yoshiko Kawakita. After practicing traditional calligraphy for two decades, I moved to Los Angeles and began to experiment and collaborate with artists to combine sublime arts, merging traditional with contemporary. I’ve been practicing calligraphy for 30+ years and dance for 20+ years. I specialize in both art forms, and both help me with the other form. As a dancer, I feel the unique rhythm that comes to life when I create brush strokes on a piece of paper. When I dance, I think about the strokes of movement.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Three definite qualities that were most impactful to my journey were determination, expression, and curiosity. I had to completely uproot my life in Japan to move to Los Angeles to start my dance journey and it would have not been possible had I not had the three. The best advice I have for folks is not to think too deeply of the details as it pertains to making art; it’s important to not get swayed by external influences and to consult with your inner thoughts.

What is the number one obstacle or challenge you are currently facing and what are you doing to try to resolve or overcome this challenge?

My ongoing lift challenge is to continue dancing. I’m not interested in dance battles and that sort of thing; I want to continue learning and feel it from within; the only way to accomplish this is by dancing.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

For the photo dated 2009/11/23 — Freestyle Session Japan, 2009. Photo: Minako Aoki.

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