The daily life of a 97-year-old newspaper collage artist.

Setsu, born in 1929 (Showa 4), began creating torn-paper collages using newspapers when she was 90 years old. Her realistic yet original works became a sensation on social media, marking the beginning of her career as a "newspaper collage artist."

Setsu's lifestyle is a perfect example for this era of 100-year lifespans. What are her secrets to staying healthy? We were able to hear her valuable insights, with her eldest daughter, Sachiko, also present.

A new life began after losing the person I loved most.

"I was always good at reading, writing, and arithmetic, but I didn't like drawing," Setsu says playfully. It was her eldest daughter, Sachiko, who suggested creating art using newspapers. "My father passed away in 2018, and my mother was still downcast the following year. I was thinking about what she could enjoy, and I remembered the paper cuttings that were displayed in the hospital where my father had been hospitalized. They were made using colored paper, but my father had a newspaper subscription, so I thought it would be an easy way to start."

Around that time, Setsu had fractured her wrist and was recovering, so Sachiko thought that moving her hands would be good for arm rehabilitation and also help prevent dementia, and she immediately ordered some reference books. "There are no material costs, so let's give it a try," she said, and started with the practice rose at the back of the book. She finished it in no time, and continued with bamboo shoots and tulips, discovering the fun of torn newspaper art.

It was Setsu's granddaughter, Iko Kimura, a successful manga artist and illustrator, who advised her, "Why don't you try drawing the preliminary sketches yourself?" Impressed by Setsu's work, Iko introduced it on social media, saying, "Grandma's torn-paper art is amazing!", and became the driving force behind the birth of a 90-year-old newspaper torn-paper artist. Soon after, a collection of her works was published, and exhibitions of her original artwork were held in various locations. Newspaper torn-paper art became an integral part of Setsu's life.

"When I tried drawing with my daughter's guidance, she praised me saying, 'That's pretty good,' and I got carried away. When I showed my torn-paper collages to my grandchildren, they told me, 'Wouldn't it be better if you did it like this?', so I redid them over and over until I got their approval. Lots of people on the internet enjoyed them, and I have my daughter read all the comments aloud to me. Before my father passed away, he told me, 'You have to keep learning no matter how old you are,' and I owe it to those words that I've been able to find something I love and challenge myself with even at this age. When I'm doing torn-paper collages, I don't think about my father as much, and I feel bad about that, but I put my hands together in prayer during my morning and evening services and offer my daily gratitude and requests to the gods and Buddhas." 

Setsu says that her life completely changed after she started making torn paper art, but she never forgets to put on makeup every day, pray to gods and Buddhas, and be grateful for all things.

At 97 years old, she still lives a fulfilling, beautiful, and healthy life, and her immediate answer to the question of what's the secret is "being able to enjoy any food." She still has all her own teeth, which surprises even her dentist. She says her favorite foods are meat and shrimp, and that the joy of eating is what fuels her creativity.

Having been a daughter, wife, and mother, I am now living my own life.

Born as the youngest of eight siblings, Setsu spent her childhood during the war, and the war ended when she was 16 years old. After graduating from girls' school, she worked at a bank, but was expected to inherit the family business and married at the age of 24. She was blessed with three daughters, and while supporting her often ill husband, she made a living through farming and poultry raising.

When her eldest daughter, Sachiko, started running a coffee shop, Setsu also began helping out. "That's when my mother started wearing makeup. She just hadn't had the opportunity to dress up before, but I think she was always a person with a good sense of aesthetics. She has a rich sense of color and a clear preference for design, and even now she is very particular about the shape of her eyebrows," says Sachiko.

Setsu continued, "I went through a lot of hardship when I was young, but now I'm truly happy. My mother used to tell me, 'Pleasure is the seed of suffering, and suffering is the seed of pleasure,' and those words really resonate with me." Hearing Setsu's story, my heart was also deeply moved.

Setsu's mother was a very religious person, and she said, "At home, we worshipped Myojin, Ebisu, Suijin, Kasayama Kojin, and Fushimi Inari in Kyoto, and I was taught to pray to them every day to receive their blessings, so I still live my life that way."

I wake up by 8 a.m. and spend two to three hours in the morning creating torn paper art. After lunch, I dedicate the time until dinner to my creative work again. "When lunch is served, I reluctantly take a break (laughs). People tell me I need to rest my eyes, but I don't want to leave my hands idle, so I put postcards, bookmarks, and other items into plastic bags while listening to the radio. Torn paper art is my passion. There's nothing more I'd be grateful for than being able to continue it as long as I live."

Photography: Shinsuke Saeki
Artwork: ©︎Setsu Kimura

A collection of works by Setsu Kimura that you'll want to pick up and read carefully!

There's a new discovery with every page turn, making it enjoyable no matter how many times you look at it. You can feel Setsu's charming personality from the comments accompanying the work, and it leaves you with a happy feeling.

Newspaper collage artist Setsu Kimura

Born in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture in 1929. She began creating torn-paper collages at the age of 90 and continues to dedicate herself to creating artwork every day. Her work has been featured in various media outlets, including TV, newspapers, and magazines, and she has published numerous works, including the collection "90 Setsu's Torn-Paper Collages" (Satoyama-sha). This year, she is also holding exhibitions of her original artwork at bookstores and galleries throughout Japan.
HP:https://shop.90setsu.net
Instagram:@90setsu