I met the artist Horiki in 1969 in Turin, a city in northern Italy. I was teaching aikidō in Turin at the time and in 1969, there were about ten Japanese people living in the city, all working in the automotive industry (Turin is a city with a flourishing car industry), Italian cuisine and Japanese martial arts.
One of them was a foreign student from an art school who practised karate, introduced me to Mr Horiki and we became friends for more than 50 years. I remember that my first impression of Mr Horiki was that he was 'refreshing' and I had a good impression of him. He was one of the few Japanese living in Turin at the time and we often got together to have dinner, play mah-jong and do other activities. Mr. Horiki was a popular figure, sought after for his good-natured personality. I returned to Japan at the end of 1970, so my friendship with Mr. Horiki lasted less than two years. Although it was a short period, we had an intense relationship, with frequent visits to each other's homes and outings in the vicinity.
An unforgettable memory was a trip to Barcelona, Spain, with Mr Horiki who took us around in his car. Horiki accompanied us for the whole trip and I remember that in Barcelona we visited the Picasso Museum, the Catalunya Museum and other museums where he also explained the works on display.
After returning to Japan, in 1981 I was transferred to the British branch of the company I worked for at the time and my family moved to London. I was very fond of my two daughters, a primary school student and a kindergarten student, whom I had brought with me.
In 1984, Mr Horiki came to London again, this time with Erminia, and we had a wonderful time as a family.
I returned to Japan in 1986 and since then we kept in touch by phone and letter. When I went on business trips to Italy and had time, I always tried to meet Mr Horiki. In the last years of his life, Horiki moved to a village near Turin, I visited his house and saw some of his works.
Now I have moved to another place and can no longer see Mr Horiki, but I will visit him 'on the other shore', where he lives now, we will drink together (if there is wine on the other shore) and talk, just like we used to do in Turin. "I can't wait to see you again on the other shore'.
Toshio Nemoto
