What has the encounter with SUNNY SIDE UP 15 years ago brought about? An interview with Yasuhiko Tsuchida, a Venetian glass artist living in Italy
Yasuhiko Tsuchida is a Venetian glass artist living in Italy. While his primary focus is on creating glass works, his interests and activities have continued to expand into novels, food, and film ever since we at SUNNY SIDE UP first met him.
We spoke with Mr. Tsuchida, who is currently back in Japan for an extended stay, about his career and his connection with SUNNY SIDE UP.
Career history and dedication to glass art
——First, please tell us about your background once again.
Tsuchida: My interest in art began in the fifth grade when I was struck as a child by Taro Okamoto’s words in a commercial: “Art is an explosion.” I wanted to travel around Europe to become an artist, but when I thought about how to make enough money to support myself until I could make a living as an artist, I arrived at cooking.
I thought that if I acquired culinary skills and worked part-time at a restaurant in Europe, I could survive even if I didn’t get paid, as long as I could eat the staff meals. To that end, I enrolled in the Tsuji Culinary Institute to learn the basics of cooking, and after graduation, I went to Paris.
——So you attended a culinary vocational school to gain a means of earning money until you could become an artist.
Tsuchida: Yes. However, surprisingly, in the late 80s when I went to Paris, there was a massive movement where “cooking is art.” Young chefs were treated like artists, and culinary events were held frequently. Cakes and chocolates made by pastry chefs were also positioned like sculptures. From then on, I began to think about my own style of fusing art and cooking.
——Going to Paris was a major turning point that changed your life.
Tsuchida: Looking back, for my graduation project at the vocational school, I was making a landscape of European cityscapes out of sugar. At the time, I intended to think of cooking and art on separate axes, but I may have been connecting them unconsciously.
——Among the arts, you are currently focusing your creative work on glass.
Tsuchida: While traveling in Italy, I stopped by a historic restaurant in Venice called “Harry’s Bar.” It was a shop that had a connection with the Tsuji Culinary Institute, and the moment I met the owner there, he told me, “Trust me and come to Harry’s Bar right now.” So I immediately moved my base from Paris to Venice and started working at Harry’s Bar.
Venice is a place with many glass workshops and galleries in a small city. If you are an artist or creator, there is a natural flow of paying attention to glass as a material and visiting glass workshops. I am one of them, and Picasso is said to have worked on Venetian glass when he stayed in Venice for four months.
——What kind of dedication do you have when creating glass works?
Tsuchida: My focus is on incorporating a sense of “Wa” (Japanese style) that doesn’t feel forced. I avoid direct expressions of symbols of Japan like cherry blossoms or Mt. Fuji, and I am conscious of finding a balance where someone might think it was made by a Japanese person if they look closely.
Memories and the encounter with SUNNY SIDE UP
——(From here, we will also be joined by SUNNY SIDE UP Director Matsumoto, who has supported Mr. Tsuchida for many years.) Please tell us about your encounter with SUNNY SIDE UP and any events that left an impression on you.
Tsuchida: I first met the people from SUNNY SIDE UP 15 years ago. I remember being introduced and going out to dinner with President Tsugihara, Mr. Matsumoto, and others.
Matsumoto: In terms of what has left the strongest impression so far, it would have to be when Mr. Tsuchida and pastry chef Susumu Koyama appeared on the E-Tele program “SWITCH Interview: Tatsujin-tachi.”
Tsuchida: Even before we appeared on the program together, Mr. Matsumoto had introduced Mr. Koyama to me, saying there was someone he wanted me to meet, and he is someone I truly clicked with. He is a senior alumnus of the Tsuji Culinary Institute, and there are many parts of his humanity and view of work that I resonate with.
Matsumoto: “SWITCH” is a program where the participants visit each other’s home bases, but as a rule, the filming locations are within Japan. It was difficult to coordinate going all the way to Venice where Mr. Tsuchida is, and it took over a year for the collaboration to happen. But in the end, it became a very popular episode, and I was happy that it was rebroadcast about six times.
——Is there anything that left an impression on you, Mr. Tsuchida?
Tsuchida: It is the fact that I created my first novel, “Tsujicho Sushi-ka,” which was published last year, together with Mr. Matsumoto. It is a long novel of 392 pages, but initially, it had about twice that amount of text. I am truly full of gratitude for him revising it many times and visiting several publishers with me.
Matsumoto: Mr. Tsuchida’s writing is very unique. Even in places where I would normally cut, when I thought that perhaps the merit of Mr. Tsuchida’s writing lies right there, I started to lose track of what should stay and what should go.
Tsuchida: If I had shown it to another editor who didn’t know my tone or style, I think many parts would have been cut just to fit the numbers. It was truly good to have it edited by Mr. Matsumoto, who understands my personality through our long relationship. It took 10 years to write and 3 years to revise, a long time to complete.
I really wanted to publish it by my 52nd birthday, so I even considered self-publishing, but Mr. Matsumoto told me I should wait a little longer. Then, three days before my birthday, I received a call from a publisher, and the publication was decided.
I am happy that the value of putting something I spent 10 years writing out into the world was recognized. I have created many works beyond just glass, but the novel gave me a particular sense of fulfillment.
Appearance in “GENTEN.HAKODATE”
——Mr. Tsuchida, you also appear in the project “GENTEN.HAKODATE” led by TERU from GLAY.
Tsuchida: “GENTEN HAKODATE vol.01,” which I appeared in, is a project where my works are brought to Hakodate, where TERU’s home and gallery are located. TERU and I traveled there together, transferring between the Shinkansen and local lines, and I served food while exhibiting my art.
TERU said that after turning 50, he wanted to look back at the city where he was born and raised in order to return to his roots. In light of recent social conditions, I am also thinking about staying in Japan for an extended period for the first time in a while to return to my own roots.
Matsumoto: Mr. Tsuchida and TERU have been friends for over 10 years now. When TERU completed a major live tour at age 45 and was looking for his next dream, there was a request from TERU that he wanted to visit Mr. Tsuchida.
Tsuchida: For about two weeks, the two of us spent time creating things and talking about our future lives, and our bond deepened. At that time, when I said I wanted to hear TERU sing in a beautiful place called St. Mark’s Square in Venice, it seems TERU felt the same way.
Since then, TERU has started performing live at the Venice Carnival. We are currently in the process of working toward holding a live concert at St. Mark’s Square to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the GLAY fan club.
The “GENTEN HAKODATE” series in which I appear will continue until Vol.07 in October, so please take a look!
Matsumoto: Mr. Tsuchida is always receiving inspiration from new worlds.
Tsuchida: My range of activities is not limited to glass, but I think ultimately everything is channeled into glass. When I create glass works, I follow four stages: inspiration of an image, verbalization, flattening, and shaping. Since writing a novel is included in the second stage of verbalization, readers might feel at an exhibition, “Isn’t this work from that scene in the novel?”
One of my creeds is that “truly beautiful things exist in worlds I do not know.” Because I believe that the authentic exists in worlds I am unfamiliar with, I want to remain humble and continue to go and see new worlds.
In Closing
——So Mr. Tsuchida and SUNNY SIDE UP have continued their relationship in various forms for 15 years.
Matsumoto: SUNNY SIDE UP is a company without a manual that says “you must act this way because this is your role.” Because there is a foundation of a company without restrictions, and furthermore, there is someone like Mr. Tsuchida who networks diverse talents, I think we are able to work together in many fields, from television programs to book publishing and film appearances.
Tsuchida: For example, if I had met a manager who said, “I will sell the works, so Tsuchida, don’t do anything new, just stay in the workshop and make glass works,” I think I would have led a different life. On the other hand, Mr. Matsumoto supports me while watching over me, saying “if that’s what Mr. Tsuchida wants to do,” which is very reassuring.
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Mr. Tsuchida is involved in all kinds of art, including Venetian glass, novels, cooking, and video works. We hope that SUNNY SIDE UP can continue to support his activities in many fields.
Please be sure to check out Mr. Tsuchida’s works and “GENTEN.HAKODATE“!
Yasuhiko Tsuchida Official Website:https://tsuchidayasuhiko.it/
Yasuhiko Tsuchida Official Instagram:@tsuchy_official
