Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake

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Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake

Akemi Tsutsui-Kunitake is a yonsei artist and athlete based in Denver, Colorado.

Her work has themes of whimsicality, adventure and magic with a Japanese cultural lens. Her illustrations are inspired by Japanese folklore, Western occult symbolism and fairytales. Many of her works depict magical or witchy women, but she is open to other subject matter for commissioned illustrations or tattoo designs. Aside from illustration, Akemi is a dedicated karate athlete and instructor at

her family’s dojo, Colorado Budokan. With over twenty years of karate experience, she is current member of the USA Karate team member for kata and views both her art and karate within the same vein of intention setting and energy manifestation. She enjoys paleo home cooking, travel and occasionally writes for local newsletters and magazines.

18/06/2024

Canine card sets wrapped up and ready for the Denver Cherry Blossom Festival! 🌸 The red ribbon is for the Nihon Ken set which features the 6 native Japanese dog breeds and the white ribbon marks the Japanese Dog set of 6 Japanese dog breeds from a variety of breed groups (I know what I said sounds redundant 😂). The term Nihon Ken means "Japanese dog", but it's also the official title of the collection of the 6 dogs native to Japan, overseen by the Nihon Ken Hozonkai (The Association for the Preservation of the Japanese Dog), also known as Nippo. The Japanese Dog set of cards includes the Shiba Inu and Akita which are native Japanese dogs, but also dogs that are from the groups defined by the American and Japanese Kennel Clubs, ex: Terrier, Toy, Working, etc.

17/06/2024

Resurrecting the altar arrangement from "Wouldst Thou?" (sold out, limited edition) for the creation of new mini prints! These minis come in both color and the original black and white. Inspired by the "Witches of Eastwick" cherry eating scene, springtime and Black Phillip. The original drawing of "Wouldst Thou" will also be available for purchase at the Denver Cherry Blossom Festival 🌸🌸🌸

16/06/2024

Happy Father's Day 💐

15/06/2024

🌸 Sakura candles!🌸 It's been a while since is on hiatus (until I can dedicate some real time to running a second business), but these Sakura candles were such a hit a couple years ago that I'm bringing them back for this year's Denver Cherry Blossom Festival. These cherry blossom scented candles are made from hand-poured 100% soy wax and topped with three little rose quartz gems.

02/06/2024

6 years 💍💖

30/05/2024

Some dogs to lift my spirits and remind myself that I can indeed draw (which sounds silly to folks who aren't artists, but I think it's a common experience of creatives to self-doubt the skills they've built their careers on). Those who aren't close friends, might not know this, but I'm actually a pretty infrequent "maker" of art already. I'm a faucet on/off person and I produce in frenzies spaced by long gaps of research and housewifing. When life derails you, it feels even harder to create and you feel like maybe a skill you've cultivated is something you're just not very good at anymore. However, when you manage to sit down and do it, you feel so much better. This is not a self-pity post, more just sharing myself a bit with you all and come on, who doesn't love dogs? I'll be making these guys into 2 card sets: Nihon-Ken (featuring the 6 native Japanese dog breeds) and Japanese Dogs (all the others). The Shiba Inu and Akita Inu will be in both sets since those are crowd favorites.

23/05/2024

Musashi, Bubu Dog, the Bestest Boy (2008-2024). He loved going through your legs so that he could do a little dance with his back legs and his ears felt like velvet. I'll never forget the time he stole and ate an entire duck (that smelled like ham) for his own personal New Year's Day celebration while the family was out of the house. He liked to play fetch, but not in public where other dogs could see. He enjoyed the sniffs more than anything at the dog park, except for when a bouncy Aussie or Goldendoodle (with long hair) came around - he had a "type". He had terrible leash manners until he got old and calmed down. In general, he was difficult to train, but I think he was just innocent and slow to catch on. He loved car rides, the dog park and especially Kendall. After living a relatively aloof life in the Tsutsui household, 9 years ago he finally found his human and fell in love. He was Stella's first playmate and she adored him. We have always had dogs, but he was my first true baby.

04/05/2024

Nagoya. So much nostalgia for us in this city. We loved visiting our old spots from when we lived here back in 2017.

1. Gilded carvings from Nagoya Castle
2. One of the entrances to the Osu Kannon shopping center. Luckily I had planned for us to be in Nagoya during the bi-monthly flea market at Osu Kannon Temple, so I picked up some treasures there.
3. We went back to our old grocery store to reminisce and pick us this supermarket sashimi feast
4. One of the restored rooms at Nagoya Castle
5. The menu at our favorite ramen restaurant, . It was so neat to see how popular this restaurant had become since we lived in Nagoya. They've collaborated with Family Mart and Cup Noodle, won awards internationally and have become somewhat of a tourist destination!
6. 's signature ise ebi ramen, my favorite
7. chefs hard at work
8. Restored ceiling at Nagoya Castle
9. Fancy dessert gifts from friends from Kendall's internship company
10. The Nagoya Station entrance to Lucent Avenue. I was happy that this vinyl installation in the underground tunnel was still there! Silhouettes of different zones (ocean, oasis, city, forest, sky, etc) line the tunnel while a cat travels alongside you as you walk.
11. Masago, crab and shrimp spaghetti from my favorite pasta chain . Sadly my uni and ikura on garlic shoyu butter spaghetti is no longer on the menu, but this was super tasty!
12. Lucent Avenue "Giant" zone

03/05/2024

A little something different! Here are some small drawings I did of highlights from our Japan trip that I used to play around with color and a smidge of storytelling. The text on some isn't as thorough (I didn't note the exact city or prefecture), but I didn't feel like going back in to edit something that was supposed to be a cute, low stress exercise.

21/04/2024

釈貫徹 Shaku Kan Tetsu, to carry through/attain.

The practice of naming and renaming is a sacred practice in Japanese traditions that occurs across spiritual systems and art forms. In this case, when a person decides to follow the teachings of the Buddha, they become a new person and are given a spiritual name as a Buddhist Shaku Kan Tetsu was selected for my grandmother, Miyo Chida Case, at her memorial service. As my mother puts it, "It fits her perfectly as a woman who was headstrong and singularly focused on attaining particular goals during her life whether they were large or small."

This brings to mind the memory of a car accident my mother and grandmother were in, after which my grandmother insisted they continued on their route to obtain $5 roast chickens from Safeway. More seriously, I also think of her perseverance to get herself and her little sisters to safety as American planes rained bombs upon Tokyo during what is known as Operation Meetinghouse. This event is to date, considered the single most destructive bombing raid of human history. I remember her saying that the river which they ran to for safety was so full of dead bodies that you could walk across it.

It's true that events such as these create certain types of behaviors - some good, some not so much. The course of one's life changes you and it's upon the individual to grow into their true purpose. In Jodo Shinshu Buddhism it is said that upon death, one evolves into a teacher whose lessons are taught through their memory. I think this perspective reconciles some of the more challenging aspects about a person. We are left with reflecting on how an individual led their life, how they touched us in their own unique way and how we may grow in their absence.

I will think fondly of the spiced crabapples she would make from the JC Penney parking lot trees, the impressive speed she could break down shellfish and her love of dancing. How her make up was always done, her hair styled, wearing broaches and flashy prints. Of the time she tried to smuggle buffet leftovers into a travel tissue bag and how her home was always immaculately clean.

Safe travels Grandma. Namu Amida Butsu.

16/04/2024

Beautiful Taiji Town. This is the hometown of my great-grandfather and where the Tsutsui name originates.This portion of our trip was deeply personal, so I won't share too much about it. However, I do have to say that the people of Taiji are the most welcoming and generous individuals I've ever met. The staff of and were amazing and the other people we met around town were just as delightful.

15/04/2024

"Asian Giiiirrrrrrllllss... IGNITE!!!" 💖 After an incredible weekend with (I'll share more in another post) I'm finally able to share the full artwork for this exclusive 2023-2024 AGI High School cohort t-shirt! When I began working on this piece I thought about how AGI's organization name sounds like a call to action or battle cry like "Moon Prism Power Make Up!" or "Avengers Assemble!" Playing off of the fire motif inspired by the word "ignite" I sought to create a dynamic, feminine image without getting too saccharine. I have always loved the idea and aesthetics of Sailor Moon. I love that it's a representation of Asian girls that doesn't shy away from pretty imagery despite depicting heroes on perilous journeys. However, I've never felt connected to the story line and could never relate to the Sailor Scouts themselves as they were illustrated. In contrast, the strong physicality of Marvel and DC female superheroes has always been attractive to me. Here, I've taken inspiration from both. I used Wonder Woman as a figure reference while sprinkling in some Magical Girl energy throughout. Intentionally here are subtle Asian cultural hints in the illustration, but none of the figures are wearing traditional attire. After all, these are American teenagers! A heart is hidden on each of the figures as a symbol of their strength stemming from their internal spirit. Thank you for the opportunity to share my artwork and spend the weekend in celebration and reflection.

12/04/2024

Happy National Pet Day!

📷 "Night Picnic"

11/04/2024

☀️ The Tower of the Sun ☀️ designed by Taro Okamoto. This modern temple to vitality and the passage of time is the remaining part of the Theme Pavilion in the Symbol Zone of the 1970 Japan World Exposition in Osaka. I had originally dismissed this site when I was looking at things to do in Osaka after the sumo basho, but it came to me in a dream and so I was persuaded to book our tickets. I'm SO glad I did. What a magnificent work of art! Okamoto draws upon the ancient, the avante garde and evolutionary science. Light and sound design bring the tower to life as the visitor climbs a massive spiraling staircase into the future. Visitors can only take photos from the ground level, so these images do not capture the full journey up the tower. The stairs climb to 40m (~131ft) and the full tower is 70m (~229 ft).

1. Subterranean flames of life in the Age of Protozoa
2. The Black Sun, representing the past
3. A small reproduction of "Prayer" to give the feeling of what was a full subterranean exhibit during the 1970 Expo. This area is used to queue the visitors before entering the tower
4. Close-up on a reproduction of The Subterranean Sun which was part of the "Prayer" space
5. The Tree of Life
6. Outside shot where you can see The Golden Mask (future) and The Face of the Sun (present)
7. Age of Protozoa
8. Age of Trilobite
9. Age of Trilobite
10. Age of Fish
11. Age of Fish
12. Frontal shot
13. Our last excellent hotel breakfast in Osaka
14. Our last dinner in Osaka the night before seeing the tower

10/04/2024

The original ink brush line work for my special edition collaboration with . Keep swiping to see close-ups and how the original compares to the final colored version. is still taking pre-orders! You can get just the print to support her journey or have it autographed and receive a personalized letter!

08/04/2024

Returning back to Todai-ji and Nara Park. Every time I've been to Japan, I've visited this temple. It's known for being the largest wooden structure in the world (despite being rebuilt a number of times, due to fires aka the Achilles heel of ancient Japan) and housing one of Japan's largest bronze Buddhas, but my favorite elements of the compound are the Nio which guard the Nandaimon Gate. Carved by Kei school of sculpture, these Guardian Kings possess such a fearsome dynamism that I always feel like I'm truly in the presence of gods when I see them.

1. A deer of Nara Park. The deer of Nara are considered sacred through their connection to the kami, Takemikazuchi. They roam freely and abundantly.
2. Todai-ji temple. Only 2/3 if its original size.
3. Nio Guardian - Ungyo
4. Nio Guardian - Agyo
5. Scenery
6. The Great Buddha of Todai-ji. Unfortunately it's almost pointless to take photos of this, because the sculpture is so massive that it's basically impossible to convey the grandiosity and imposing energy of the Buddha. It is around 50 feet tall to give some context. Photos just don't do it justice at all, really from any angle. However I thought I'd share anyways.
7. Deer.
8. An incense offering censer at Todai-ji.
9. Binzuru, one of the 16 disciples of the Buddha said to excel in occult powers. If you rub an image of him (like this wooden sculpture) and rub a part of you that is ailing, you are to be healed.
10. Lunch from Miyama
11. Scenery
12. 4 of Twelve Heavenly Generals from the Kamakura Period (13th century )carved in wood and housed at Nara National Museum.
13. Close-up on Seated Nyorin Kannon. Also from the Kamakura Period (1275) and carved from hinoki. Nara National Museum.
14. Deer
15. Kakinoha-sushi, a Nara style sushi wrapped in a persimmon leaf and eaten in our hotel room ;)

07/04/2024

Last sneak peak of this collaboration with before we share the final product with you all next weekend! ✨ 💪💖

06/04/2024

A day at the Osaka Basho... We caught day 13 of 15. What a spectacular experience! I can't think of anything that compares to sumo. The combination of athleticism, spirituality and avid fandom is unparalleled (possibly Spanish bull fighting comes close).

1. East Makuuchi entrance (I did not capture the West wrestlers)
2. Outside of Edion Arena
3. Prepping the dohyo at the beginning of the day
4. Our favorite Ura vs. Tobizaru. Ura did not win this match (the wrestlers fight every day of the basho though and he overall had a very good tournament), but lost in delightful fashion as usual - somersaulting off the dohyo and into the first couple rows of spectators.
5. An arena obento
6. Takerufuji vs. Wakamotoharu doing their opening claps. Takerufuji won the tournament - only his 10th one since turning pro - while becoming the first wrestler to win his first tournament in the Makuuchi division since Ryogoku in 1914 and tying the legendary Taiho's 1960 record of 11 consecutive match wins by a Makuuchi debutante.
7. Fixing the dohyo between matches (this was earlier in the day - hence the absence of many spectators, they usually show up later for the Makuuchi bouts).
8. Extra brooms beneath the stands
9. Sadly I can't remember who was in this match, but it's neat that you can see them working some belt sumo.
10. I believe this is the latest banzuke (ranking)
11. East Makuuchi entrance
12. Tournament cup and special prizes
13. A very flexible Juryo division wrestler lifting his leg for shiko
14. Chanko from the arena restaurant
15. An excellent hotel breakfast to start the day

02/04/2024

On our last full day in Japan we visited Nagoya Castle to see the sakura. We were super lucky to catch them since the trees have been blooming late this year, even though this is supposed to be the peak of the season. Cherry blossoms symbolize the transience of life and the fleeting beauty of nature. What a fitting way to end this beautiful and life changing trip. I really love it here. This was our first time back to Japan since living here in 2017 and two weeks seems too short. I'll share more photos later, but some I think I'll keep just for myself 🌸

19/03/2024

🌷🌼🪻🌱 Happy Vernal Equinox / Shunbun no Hi 春分の日🌱 🌷🌼🪻

📷 .santalaphotography

18/03/2024

Did you know that there are 13, 17, 20, 21 and 25 stringed koto 箏? I didn't until I started on this drawing 😂. When I thought I'd double check which version the client plays, of course it had a different number of strings than the reference image I had used, but luckily I hadn't inked anything yet 😅😅😅

🌊🌸

14/03/2024

"Unknowingly, I’ve walked down
This long and narrow road
Whenever I look back
I can see my hometown in the distance
This is a rugged road
A winding road
And there’s no map
Well, that is life
Ah, like the flowing river gently
The long years will pass away
Ah, like the flowing river
The endless sky
Is coloured by the setting sun
To live is to go on a journey
On this endless road
bringing loved ones near
We chase our dreams"

English translation of "Kawa no Nagare no Youni" by Misora Hibari

Miyo Case (née Chida) 1932-2024. Her happiest memories - 23 years old on an adventure to America aboard the Hikawa Maru (docked today in Yokohama as a museum).

11/03/2024

Another close-up on one of my April collaborations. ✨ 💪💖

#

10/03/2024

I'll be traveling to Japan soon so this week is the last call for shipping until I get back and can process orders! Otherwise orders placed between March 18th-April 6th will be shipped the second week of April. ✨ In the meantime, enjoy these images of the Go'o Shrine which was renovated/reimagined by artist, Hiroshi Sugimoto in 2002. I had the fortune of visiting this beautiful site back in 2015 while I was staying on Naoshima, the second to last time I visited Japan. As an art piece it is titled "Appropriate Proportion," though it is mainly known by its original name. This shrine/art installation consists of components of the original Edo period structure (which had fallen into disrepair before the Naoshima Art House Project) in the Main Sanctuary and a giant rock slab taken from a 24 ton boulder from Mount Mannari. This slab separates the Worship Hall from the Rock Chamber below which leads out through a narrow passageway to a view of the sea. Only a "stairway of light" made from rought-hewn optical-glass steps joins the celestial and earthbound realms.

08/03/2024

Happy International Women's Day! In celebration of women near and far, I thought I'd share a book by ons of my favorite illustrators, Trina Schart Hyman. This book is a collaboration between Hyman and her daughter Katrin Tchana featuring retellings of international stories highlighting strong women. In addition to Hyman's beautiful ink and acrylic wash drawings, I've always appreciated the variety of strong women in this collection. Some are physically strong, others are wildly clever, compassionate or resilient when faced with great hardship. They have different skin tones, ages and body types (not all that you can see here in these slides). Often in different media we see women's stories centered around a potential male partner. There are a handful of these kinds of stories in the book, but there are also ones that are not romantically driven. You also see stories of women whose husbands simply support her in her own journey, foolish husbands that create messes and very bad husbands whom our heroine defeats. I especially enjoy how many of the women in this collection are just normal people until life takes a turn and their story begins. There are mothers, daughters, friends, leaders, students, warriors, intellectuals, farmers, fisherwomen, housewives, maids, healers, cleaners, etc. but they are all strong women♀️

04/03/2024

Work in progress.... VERY excited to unveil this one next month. This one is another collaboration, can you guess with whom? 🌊🌸 👊

29/02/2024

Tomorrow at 3pm MST I'll be launching the pre-orders for "Endless Gratitude: Yume no Umi"! This image is a mock-up, the actual prints will have the title and my handwritten signature in graphite at the bottom in my usual style. They'll be available in 12×16" and the original size of 18×24" as giclee prints on acid-free 100% cotton rag. I will also have a new sticker live on the site at the same time which I'll share an image of tomorrow!

20/02/2024

Today is the anniversary of what Japanese Americans call the Day of Remembrance. On this day in 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which led to the forced removal and incarceration of over 125,000 Americans of Japanese ancestry living on the West Coast. No Japanese Americans were ever charged, much less convicted, of espionage or sabotage against the United States. Yet they were targeted, rounded up, and imprisoned for years. Day of Remembrance an opportunity to educate others on the fragility of civil liberties in times of crisis, and the importance of remaining vigilant in protecting the rights and freedoms of all. It's unfortunate that every year this comes around, it is often said how timely the Day of Remembrance is. How these days, the lessons from 9066 are especially important. Or that recent events show that something like the camps can happen again. All is true, but I think the repetition of this sentiment demonstrates that activism is not a seasonal event. There will always be oppressors and the fight for justice that is a fire that needs to be continuously fed. When I think about my own family's relationship to incarceration, I'm so grateful to be at a point of healing that I can speak to the impact it had on our lives. There's a sickening ache that arises in my body when I think of the camps, but it's a somatic reminder of the privilege I have to be born in the time and place of today. I am able to tell my family's story, to advocate for others and to walk in the world with this power.

📷 "Memory of Light in the Darkness"

#9066

16/02/2024

A bit of a chilly morning put me in the mood to share a photo from my most recent shoot with .santalaphotograph . We shot this set in early January before so many in my circle lost loved ones and it makes you wonder about premonitions. It is my own interpretation of the set (and of course, this image is just one example) but what I see in the photos is a bittersweet and otherworldly combination of love, grief, tender warmth, deep heartache and fleeting vitality. .santalaphotography so beautifully drew out this ghostly, exhilarating energy through the skill in her craft.

It makes me think of the Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman, which I'm currently re-listening to in which she frequently quotes Emily Dickinson:

"Unable are the Loved to die
For Love is Immortality,
Nay, it is Deity

Unable they that love to die
For Love reforms Vitality
Into Divinity."

In the books it is said that being alive naturally means that we are fated to lose everyone we've ever loved. So the question arises, do you choose courage or caution? Which would you choose?

15/02/2024

Final set of photos from the Torchbearers San Francisco trip!

1. My haul of books mostly from Forest Books including a couple of signed editions (see later slides).
2. Torchbearers with Dr. Dana Nakano after his talk at
3. A relief on the end of a Japantown bench depicting the tale of Urashimataro.
4. The plaque commemorating the first MIS class at the Military Intelligence Service Historic Learning Center which is located in the original building of the MIS language school.
5. Registry of names in the learning center of those who served in WWII in the MIS.
6. My grandpa (Isao) and his younger brother (Tootsie - Naoji) listed in the registry.
7. Another Japantown bench relief depicting Tango no Sekku (Boy's Day) or Kodomo no Hi (Children's Day)
8. Dr. Dana Nakano's message to my father in his premier book "Japanese Americans and the Racial Uniform"
9. Julie Otsuka's signature in a copy of "Buddha in the Attic" that I picked up at Forest Books. This is a book I always recommend, so much so that I have 2 copies (one for myself and one for lending). So happy to have a third, signed one in my collection.
10. "Ogawa II" by Kay Sekimachi, woven from six-layer-woven nylon filament, glass beads and plastic tubing.

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