Mr. Eto was born into the world of Japanese gardening. His father owned and operated a landscape design/build company in northern Kyushu, specializing in koi ponds among other types of landscapes. As a young man, curious by nature and interested in working with his hands, Mr. Eto decided to follow the same path as his father.

As many aspiring craftsman do in Japan, Mr. Eto sought out and secured an apprenticeship. Even though he was part of a family-run business, studying under a well-known garden artist in a different part of the country is a fairly common practice in Japan. It is a way to infuse the family business with new techniques, which was in fact one of Mr. Eto’s motivations. But he was also pulled towards the old city of Kyoto, and was fortunate in finding a position with the renowned Nakahara landscape company. Also fortunate for Mr. Eto was that during his time in Kyoto, Nakahara was building the beautiful and expansive gardens of Shozan, in the northern part of the city. During his apprenticeship, Mr. Eto focused on studying traditional techniques and how they could be combined with modern equipment.

Another thing that Mr. Eto took away from his time as an apprentice in Kyoto was his interest in the tea ceremony. His belief is that in order to build better landscapes, especially tea gardens, one must have a deep and complete understanding of Chado, the way of tea. He studied the tea ceremony for three decades and was awarded a Chame, or tea name, of “So-haku,” which recognizes him as a master of tea and means he is permitted to teach Chado.

In 2007, Mr. Eto gave talks to a Russian University as a guest lecturer on the topic of Japanese gardening. It was at this time that he became aware of the many misconceptions of his craft outside of Japan, and the incomplete understanding of many western practitioners. Mr. Eto felt that by teaching fundamentals and sharing his insight and techniques with young people, and setting the standard himself everyday on the job site, he could effect change from the bottom up.

Not long after his motivation started building to pass along his craft, he started getting opportunities to design and build authentic Japanese gardens in the United States. He feels that by building these special landscapes outside of Japan he is doing more than just leaving behind his own masterpieces. Mr. Eto hopes that by imparting the spirit and techniques he learned from his father and his teachers in Kyoto, that a more complete and honest understanding of Japanese gardens will take root in the hearts and minds of those who hear his teachings.