The long-delayed launch of Washi Academy wasn’t a single decision, but the result of multiple circumstances aligning — like constellations finally forming a recognizable pattern, just clear enough to act on.
My solitary time in Toronto during the pandemic, despite the difficulties surrounding my mother’s illness, granted something invaluable: uninterrupted space for honest self-examination. I confronted fundamental questions about legacy, purpose, and the shape I wanted my remaining years to take. The stark recognition that this represents my final chapter — perhaps twenty years if fortune permits — made further procrastination feel like a betrayal.
Then, after returning to Japan, successfully renewing my collaboration with Imai san a few years ago proved foundational — his trust in me, his satisfaction with my work, and our successful workshop partnership restored a confidence I hadn’t realized I’d lost. The positive reception of our joint efforts confirmed that something like Washi Academy was a viable possibility, maybe even something that needed to be attempted — not just a rehashing of a pipe dream from 30 years ago.
The introduction of a new medication these past months provided an unexpected catalyst. The effects — increased agency, reduced perfectionism, clearer thinking — functioned as the final tumbler clicking into place, enabling action where before there had been only endless contemplation (and self-doubt).
But perhaps most significantly, the idea of a central hub or community for washi lovers has accumulated 30 years of intellectual momentum. What began as idle speculation in my mid-twenties and got shelved numerous times as doubt overcame me, never imploded entirely — I was always thinking about it, writing notes about it. Then in recent years the idea achieved its own gravitational pull, making realization feel not just possible but inevitable. The extended gestation period was probably both delay and necessary preparation — allowing each element to mature before integration even as I wrestled with doubt.
The irony isn’t lost on me that setting the launch in motion — as daunting as it may have felt — was almost surely the simplest step. The real work of building, forging, educating, and connecting begins now. The only doubt I don’t feel is about how challenging it will be going forward. Even with no guarantees, I’m finally more eager than anxious to test the limits of this idea — and to see what Washi Academy might grow into when shaped by a lifetime’s worth of care, setbacks, and quietly persistent belief.