Over the last year and a half, many “coincidences” have happened.

While I was looking for a keyword for my art work, the word “coincidence” kept appearing.

In Japan, it has long been believed that apparent coincidences are more than random events; rather, your life is shaped by connections, and connections arise from your actions, and the paths you choose.

The word Goen (ご縁)

means “fortuitous encounters”.

It represents profound, fateful connections that transform perceived coincidences into meaningful relationships with people or places.

These events can be turning points.

Goen offers a useful framework for the everyday: pay attention to your reality, make intentional choices, and let the future happen as it will.

Goen includes both pleasant and difficult connections, without labelling them as “meant to be.”

Work showed at the 65th Gen-Nichi Calligraphy Exhibition, August 2026. A group exhibition in Ueno, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art. This work received a “Honorable Mention” award.