Born in Kyoto prefecture in 1947.
Graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in French literature from Waseda University.
After working as an editor of Geijutsu Shincho, chief researcher of The National Museum of Art Osaka, professor of Tama Art University, director of The National Museum of Art Osaka, and president of Kyoto City University of Arts, currently he is a president of Tama Art University. He is also a chairman of The Japanese Council of Art Museums and concurrently holds the posts of a director of The Museum of Modern Art SAITAMA, Kyoto Art Center and YAYOI KUSAMA MUSEUM.

He was a Japanese commissioner for the Venice Biennale in 1990 and 1993 and an artistic director of Yokohama Triennale in 2001, Aichi Triennale in 2010, and “Asian Corridor” which was the main project of Culture City of East Asia Kyoto in 2017.

As a poetry, he received Rekitei New Poet Award for Yohaku no ranna (Runners in the Margins), Takami Jun Award for Reido no inu (The Dog of Zero degrees), and Hagiwara Sakutaro Award for Shigo no ressun (Lesson of Dead Language).