New York has very few Japanese galleries specializing in Japanese art and almost none devoted exclusively to championing contemporary Japanese talent. The model reflects how Japan’s gallery system has traditionally maintained a more insular and elitist character, one that has only recently begun to change. Nearly 20 years ago, they opened a small commercial gallery in Tokyo, hpgrp GALLERY, focused largely on emerging Japanese artists. The venture initially performed well, but financial difficulties at the parent company forced the New York gallery to close around 2019. When asked to identify other tendencies, Totsuka points to a broader return among Japanese contemporary artists to physical materials, craft and technique.