IN MEMORIAM: MASARU TAKIGUCHI (1941-2026)

In Memoriam: Masaru Takiguchi

The Japan-America Society of Houston (JASH) mourns the passing of Masaru “Taki” Takiguchi, a longtime JASH member and distinguished sculptor whose life and work enriched Houston’s artistic and cultural landscape for more than half a century.

Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1941, Takiguchi studied sculpture at Kyoto City College of Fine Arts. In 1968, he was invited to Houston to pursue his work as an artist, beginning what would become a lifelong connection to the city. Houston became the place where he built his career, established his home, met his wife, Hiromi, and became an integral part of the city’s arts community for more than five decades.

Working primarily in stone and wood, Takiguchi developed a sculptural language distinguished by its simplicity, precision, and extraordinary sensitivity to material. He often worked alone, using tools he made himself and allowing the natural character of stone and wood to guide forms that could be both monumental and remarkably contemplative.

His influence extended well beyond his own body of work. As an instructor in sculpture at the University of Houston, Takiguchi helped shape a generation of artists, including celebrated Texas sculptor Jesús Moroles.

Takiguchi also holds a remarkable place in the history of public art at the University of Houston. His sculptures Orbit I and Orbit II, created in 1968, became the University’s first official art acquisitions in 1969, helping to establish what would grow into the Public Art of the University of Houston System collection. Orbit I, carved from camphor wood, remains part of the collection today—a tangible reminder of Takiguchi’s place at the very beginnings of a public art legacy that has become an important part of the University and the Houston community.

His work can also be found in numerous public, corporate, and private collections. Among his monumental works is Quest, carved from a 15-ton block of marble and installed at Austin College in Sherman, Texas.

For JASH, Takiguchi-san was more than an accomplished artist. He was a longtime member and friend whose life reflected the cultural exchange and mutual understanding at the heart of our mission.

In 2015, JASH was honored to feature his work in I am Content With What I Lack: The Poetics of Japanese Gardens, an exhibition bringing together Takiguchi and fellow Houston-based Japanese artists Keiji Asakura, Terry Hagiwara, and Mari Omori. Through their individual perspectives, the artists explored the relationship between Japanese aesthetics, nature, place, and the idea of the garden. The exhibition resonated so strongly with audiences that its run was extended.

Takiguchi-san’s journey from Osaka to Houston became something much larger than the story of an artist making a home in a new city. Through more than five decades of creating, teaching, and quietly influencing those around him, he became part of Houston’s cultural fabric and helped deepen this community’s appreciation of Japanese art and aesthetics.

His legacy remains—in the works he created, in the artists and students he influenced, in the public art tradition he helped establish at the University of Houston, and in the many people who had the privilege of knowing him.

JASH extends its deepest condolences to his wife, Hiromi, his family, friends, fellow artists, and all those whose lives were touched by his artistry and friendship.

We remember Takiguchi-san with profound respect and gratitude—for the beauty he created, for the generations he influenced, and for the enduring bridge he built between Japan and the Houston community.