From Crushing Debt to Artistic Revolution
The Journey of Daichi Sakamoto.
From Crushing Debt to Artistic Revolution
The Journey of Daichi Sakamoto.
For Daichi Sakamoto, it meant diving into overwhelming debt, sleeping curled up under a tiny desk, and building a new world of creativity from the depths of despair.
This is not just a story about art.
It’s about survival, belief, and the unstoppable energy of human creativity.
As a high school student, Daichi appeared in the popular "Men’s Synchronized Swimming Water Boys Championship," experiencing a summer so intense that it steered him toward the world of art.
He enrolled in Nihon University College of Art, where he immersed himself in everything from painting and film to architecture, dance, and literature.
At Nihon University College of Art, Daichi deepened his artistic skills across disciplines.
During and after his studies, he worked at Tokyo MX TV and TV Asahi’s production departments, gaining real-world experience that would later fuel his independent projects.
After going independent, Daichi ambitiously directed musical films and even shows at the Las Vegas Aria Hotel, home to Cirque du Soleil.
But reality hit hard.
The projects didn’t yield income, and by 25, he was drowning in debt — tens of millions of yen.
Working construction jobs at night and dawn, earning a meager salary, most of which went to cover interest payments, he secretly lived in a one-mat (tiny) office, surviving on miso soup and rice crackers.
It was a brutal, humbling chapter.
Daichi met sculptors, master artisans, and even former assistants of Osamu Tezuka.
He released sculpture-based works, yet success remained elusive.
One day, from the window of his small gallery in Moto-Azabu, he spotted a new skyscraper being built in Tokyo Midtown — designed by Kengo Kuma.
A dream surged within him:
"One day, I’ll have a gallery there."
He immediately turned that vision into an artwork.
It seemed laughably impossible.
Yet, as if reality bent to the force of imagination, orders exploded.
Within a month, his income multiplied 100 times — and world leaders began to collect his art.
Daichi opened a gallery inside the Tokyo Midtown skyscraper.
Over 100 custom orders flowed annually, and artists working with him achieved Japan’s highest income rankings in their categories.
The impossible dream had become reality.
To channel success into broader impact, Daichi founded the SynchroArt Foundation (saf).
Saf became a platform that empowered artists, supported disability arts, regional revitalization, impoverished communities, and disaster recovery through art.
He opened a street-level gallery in Azabu-Juban.
Donating all his personal art profits to saf, he demonstrated that sustainable success wasn’t a fluke.
Artists under saf’s wing sold out exhibitions, thriving creatively and financially.
A second gallery opened in Ginza’s prestigious 6-chome district.
Major exhibitions followed:
World-record-breaking animator Haruna Gozu’s solo show
Japan’s largest NFT event, "NFT WEEKS TOKYO"
International partnerships flooded in.
Daichi also became a Special Supporter for Paralym Art, further rewriting industry norms.
Daichi opened "Saf Gallery" inside GINZA SIX, the largest commercial complex in Ginza.
Collaborations with CoinPost, Horipro, embassies, major anime studios, and leading NFT projects ensued.
Tie-ups with New York, London galleries, Tokyo Tower, and Haneda Airport expanded saf’s influence globally.
Invited to exhibit at the Daimaru Shinsaibashi Department Store’s Contemporary Art Collection — Japan’s highest-value art market — Daichi’s work stood beside legends like Banksy, KAWS, and Yayoi Kusama.
He also became an advisor for Ochanomizu Art School, fueling the next generation of creatives.
Daichi developed "AL," an AI creative partner model.
AL visualizes and shares the knowledge and emotions embedded in the artistic process, forging a visionary future between human and machine creativity.
Ten years after falling into debt chasing global dreams, Daichi Sakamoto returns stronger, wiser, and ready to redefine the future of art — on a truly global stage.