When I stepped into the Taro Nasu gallery, I commented that it felt quite spacious ¡ª at least, more so than I had expected.

"Maybe for Tokyo,¡± said Masako Hosoi, the gallery¡¯s director. "But Taro is always trying to make his gallery as small as possible, that¡¯s his theory,¡± she said, referring to the owner, Taro Nasu, who is also a director. "We can¡¯t be a big gallery just like those in London, Paris, Berlin. We can¡¯t compete with them.¡±

The Taro Nasu gallery is on the upper level of a four-story building in the heart of Roppongi, an entertainment and business district in Tokyo known for its museums and galleries.