The Story Behind HYPHEN — Why I Created an Art Platform for Young People

A Seed Planted in Childhood

Art has been a part of my life since childhood. One of the strongest influences on me was the TV series Glee. Through its music and dance, I watched people who did not always get along find ways to share, connect, and build deeper bonds. Even as a child, I felt the message: everyone is different, and that diversity is what makes us valuable. It was my first realization that art has the power to bring people together and teach us to accept differences.

From Dance to a Wider World

As I grew older, I immersed myself in dance. I choreographed, directed, and created, always searching for ways to express myself. Yet, the more I explored, the more I realized that inspiration does not belong to dance alone. Music, visual art, writing, photography, film—all of these art forms carried something powerful, each sparking new perspectives and fresh ideas.

I began to think: Isn’t it a waste to keep these discoveries confined within the dance world? The essence of art lies in crossing boundaries. That is why I felt there needed to be a place where different art forms could meet, interact, and inspire one another.

The Untapped Talent Around Me

At the same time, I looked around and saw incredible works being created by my peers—paintings, films, compositions, performances. Yet most of these works stayed hidden within the limits of school or small communities. They were rarely shared with a wider audience.

I thought it was too great a loss for such powerful expressions to disappear after a single performance or exhibit. Even if these young creators did not go on to become professional artists, the experience of sharing their voice with the world would still have deep meaning—for them, and for society. That is why I felt it was essential to create a system where young people could share their work more freely and more easily.

Why “HYPHEN”?

This conviction led me to create HYPHEN, an art platform for young people. The name comes from the simple punctuation mark “-”, which connects different words and ideas. In the same way, I envisioned HYPHEN as a connector: between genres, between Japan and the world, between individuals and society.

HYPHEN is designed to give high school students and young creators a space to share their voices. Whether or not they plan to pursue a professional artistic career is not important. What matters is the value of expressing now—capturing this unique moment of youth and putting it into the world.

The Future I Hope For

Through HYPHEN, I hope to make it normal for young people’s expressions to reach society. Not only those who will study art professionally, but also those who may choose different paths should still have the chance to shape their ideas and share them. If that culture takes root, the art scene in Japan can become more open, diverse, and alive.

What I want to emphasize most is this: the act of expression itself holds value. Even if a piece is created only once, by sharing it, it can reach someone, spark empathy, and inspire action. Every expression has the potential to influence the future.

In Conclusion

Art is a powerful tool to reflect our emotions and thoughts. That is why it matters so much for young artists to raise their voices now. HYPHEN was born to gather those voices, connect them, and amplify them.

My hope is that HYPHEN can help build a world where our differences make us richer, where creativity flows across boundaries, and where young people are unafraid to share their visions. This is the future I want to begin—starting here, starting now.