The Smell of First Summer in NY

This weekend, I took the subway to Flushing. I got off at the last stop, rode the long escalator up to the street, and suddenly—I smelled the very beginning of my life in New York.

It was the end of June 2022 when I arrived in New York for the first time. That was the day I moved from Japan. I was picked up at JFK Airport and brought to Flushing, Queens.

On my first day, I stayed at a friend’s house—a church, actually—where I spent the first few nights. The next day, I wandered around the neighborhood. As I walked, I smelled a mixture of sun, humidity, Asian food, gas, and plants. Somehow, that scent embedded itself in my memory as the smell of my first days in New York.

It’s now been three years since I moved here alone—and since I began my journey as a professional artist. In the beginning, I knew nothing about the art industry, and honestly, I’m still not sure how much I’ve accomplished. But during these three years, I achieved one of my goals: a solo show at the Tenri Cultural Institute, with my parents in the audience. That was a huge milestone.

I’m deeply grateful to everyone who has supported me during these three wild and wonderful years in this chaotic city.

This is still the beginning of my artistic journey. I can’t wait to see what challenges I’ll take on next to keep growing—especially since I tend to make spontaneous decisions.

Photo by Shigeko Fukaya