The Miyagawa River flows through Takayama City from north to south. It provides beautiful scenery during each season with cherry blossoms and willow trees. Near the Kajibashi Bridge where the Miyagawa Morning Market—a popular tourist attraction in Takayama—is held, there is a gallery where people often stop and gaze at art through the windows. Several detailed papercut pieces of traditional Takayama scenes are on display. 
Norihito Yoshimoto-san moved from Toyama to Takayama when he was fifteen years old due to his parents’ work. Although he was interested in design and art while he was living in Toyama, he also wanted to study cultural sociology. He decided to attend a university to study this subject. When he turned twenty, his parents bought a place—currently Norihito’s gallery—and started selling kimonos. 
Yoshimoto-san’s work represents the “wa-modern (Japanese modern)” artistic style. His art pieces, such as a quiet scene portraying Takayama’s street of historical buildings covered in snow and a landscape of cherry blossoms petals fluttering and falling on a bridge along a river in spring, are delicate and uniquely distorted. They attract attention from people living both inside and outside Japan.
So by visiting and meeting Yoshimoto-san and listening to his story, you will have deeper understandings on our tradition, culture and daily life.