Yusuke Homma, a native of Shibata City in Niigata Prefecture, has been deeply inspired by Takashi Amano since his high school days. After graduating, he joined Aqua Design Amano, where he worked closely with Amano for nearly two decades as an assistant in aquatic landscape creation and field photography.

Homma played a key role in numerous international photography expeditions, including locations such as the Amazon in South America, Huangshan, Jiuzhaigou, Zhangjiajie, and Guilin in China, as well as scenic sites across Japan. In Amano’s later years, Homma assisted in photographing cultural heritage sites like Nikko and Kyoto’s temple architecture, continuing until Amano’s passing in 2015.

Beyond assisting, Homma is an accomplished landscape photographer in his own right. In 2024, he held a solo exhibition titled “Journey in Search of Yoroi Lagoon” at Niigata Eya, showcasing his dedication to capturing the natural beauty of Niigata’s lagoons. His work is not only artistic but also environmental, as he actively engages in efforts to protect lagoon ecosystems.

Carrying forward Amano’s philosophy of learning from nature, Homma now leads the Nature Aquarium creation team at Aqua Design Amano. He has conducted Nature Aquarium lectures and aquatic plant workshops in countries such as Italy, Germany, Hungary, and China, and serves as a judge for the International Aquatic Plants Layout Contest (IAPLC). Through these activities, he continues to promote and expand the global appreciation of Nature Aquarium.

Originally from Nishikan Ward, Niigata City, Nozomi Hayakawa spent four years studying in Pennsylvania, USA, before joining Aqua Design Amano. After returning to Japan, he joined Aqua Design Amano, where he played a key role in launching the company’s international marketing division — overseeing product exports and managing relationships with overseas suppliers.

In parallel, he accompanied Takashi Amano as an interpreter and assistant on Nature Aquarium lectures and workshops around the world, traveling to countries such as the United States, Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and Russia.

From the late 1990s through 2011, he also coordinated and accompanied Amano’s overseas landscape photography expeditions, including trips to the Rio Negro in the Amazon, Malaysia’s tropical rainforests, Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay, the Altai Mountains of Central Asia, and the fjords of western Norway.

In 2015, he was deeply involved in the creation project of the iconic “Forests Underwater by Takashi Amano” aquascape at the Lisbon Oceanarium, contributing from the early planning stages through on‐site coordination. His dedication and ability to navigate cultural differences and project challenges were instrumental in bringing the vision to life.