An Encounter with His Master, Kenkichi Kuroda

The man who would become Miyamoto's master, Kenkichi Kuroda, was the son of Tatsuaki Kuroda—the very first person to be designated a Living National Treasure for woodcraft. So how did Miyamoto end up as his apprentice? As it turns out, it was a series of what can only be described as fateful encounters.

"I think it was around junior high. My father used to tell me, 'If you love woodworking so much, maybe you should become an apprentice under Kuroda.' My dad apparently knew Tatsuaki Kuroda from his work and they were well acquainted, but I had no idea who that was at the time.

"Then, long after I'd forgotten all about it, I was studying painting to prepare for art school entrance exams. The owner of that studio happened to know Kenkichi Kuroda and mentioned me to him, saying, 'You know, there's a young guy at my studio who's aiming to be a woodworker.' It wasn't until later that the dots connected, and I realized that these were the very Kurodas my father had been talking about."

It's almost as if Miyamoto was destined from birth to study under Kenkichi Kuroda.