Vol.4
MAS HINO
Born in Japan, raised in America.
The identity of a luthier/bass and guitar builder living as a Japan-US hybrid.
In 1993, after his mentor John left Rudy's, Hino was promoted to the head builder position. Following this, he built and repaired guitars and basses for numerous musicians, gaining worldwide acclaim. Another major turning point came in 2000 when he was 34 years old.
"I got married in 1998, but my Japanese wife was unable to live with me in the U.S. while she applied for a green card. I was told it would take five years to obtain one. Since I had only lived in Japan as a child, I thought it would be nice to try living there for a while, even though I can't write Japanese."
In Japan, he started working as a master builder for a domestic brand. Eventually, he began to question the Japanese way of working.
"I felt that Japanese people lack a sense of independent thinking and action. There seems to be a strong inclination towards following others or sticking to the status quo. Isn't it worthwhile to explore new ideas and ventures? Yet, there is reluctance to deviate from the norm. It's okay to fail; it won't be the end of the world (laughs)."
Whenever I tried to assert my creativity, I faced resistance. I was often met with questions like, 'Why do you have to do that?' My longing to return to my hometown NYC only grew stronger."
Reference：
"Discovering Our True Calling: Exploring Beyond Japan's Borders"
『日本を飛び出して、世界で見つけた僕らが本当にやりたかったこと』Michinori Mori