4KDO10: Carrying Forward the Legacy of a Legendary Sofubi Artist

I originally started collecting sofubi around 2017 as a collector. The turning point came in 2020, when I met NAGNAGNAG (NAG), a globally renowned sofubi creator.
 
At the time, I went to see one of his solo exhibitions and had brought along his iconic work Bouryoku Genjin (Violent Primitive). I showed it to him and asked for his signature. The moment he saw it, he said, “This is a fake.” I instantly froze and couldn’t say a word. He quickly laughed and added, “Just kidding,” but it really gave me a scare.
 
Then he noticed the camera I had with me and said, “Let me see your sofubi photos.” As he looked through them, he said, “You have a great sense. I really like these.” He then pulled a business card from his wallet and added, “Feel free to contact me directly.”
 
From then on, we began meeting for meals almost every week. Since we lived relatively close to each other, there were even periods when we saw each other nearly every day, and we quickly became very close.
 
At one point, NAG asked me, “Do you want to host a sofubi event?” When I said yes, he said something that has stayed with me ever since:
 
“If you’ve decided to step into this world, you’re already halfway there. Whatever happens, we trust each other. I’ll support you with everything I can.”

Since I wasn’t originally part of the sofubi scene, every Japanese brand that participated in the first event came through NAG. The Chinese brands, meanwhile, were introduced by the designer co.oc29.
 
Because the first event was a success, I gained NAG’s trust. As a result, at the second event we officially presented and sold Bouryoku Genjin, and at the third event we introduced an original series titled The 300 Million Yen Robber, inspired by Japan’s infamous unsolved 1968 “300 Million Yen Robbery” case. These experiences were not merely achievements; they remain among the moments I am most proud of in my activities so far. For me, their value cannot be measured in money—they are truly irreplaceable.

Yes. Rather than simply selling sofubi, we want to create a place where people can truly experience them. For example, at the second exhibition, we recreated the scene of Godzilla destroying a city. To make the setting feel more immersive, we brought in actual building rubble and used smoke effects to construct a vivid scene. Even the music played in the venue was newly edited and produced specifically for the exhibition. All of this came from NAG’s strong attention to detail. At one point, we had finished the entire installation, but he looked at it and said, “These stones are too low.” So we dismantled everything and started again from scratch.
 
Whenever he approached a project, he entered a deep state of concentration. The level of care he brought to his work went far beyond anything I had imagined, revealing a clear pursuit of perfection. Only after we began working together did I start to understand him much more deeply as a person.

Originally, NAG himself was already presenting works from his own brand, NAGNAGNAG, as an experience rather than simply a product. His first piece, Bouryoku Genjin, attracted attention in the United States after sparking controversy. I’ve also heard stories that at a U.S. event he even sold sofubi in the venue restroom like a drug dealer.
 
He would often say to us, “I want 4KDO10 to become the world’s greatest sofubi event.” It’s an ambitious goal, but that’s exactly why we want to keep offering new experiences each time and let the event grow little by little.

I had a mutual acquaintance with NAG, and in 2020 he reached out to me through that person, saying he was looking for someone who could sculpt kaiju prototypes. The first piece we created together was a sofubi Godzilla inspired by Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. People often say this Godzilla actually resembles NAG himself (laughs).
 
Since then, I worked with him as NAGNAGNAG’s dedicated sculptor, creating numerous pieces together. My personal favorite was the Godzilla 2001 version—the one with its mouth wide open, from Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.

Works like Bouryoku Genjin carried an overwhelming intensity—almost as if every emotion NAG held had been poured into them. Yet as a person, he was incredibly fun to be around. He could be very strict and even intimidating when it came to the work, but being with him was always genuinely enjoyable.

Now that I’ve learned the techniques, I can really push the sculpting to the limit. But in the early days, when I added very realistic details, manufacturers sometimes warned that the molds might not work properly, so I had to redo the prototypes. As for the painting, though, that was completely NAG’s domain.

When I first saw the actual Bouryoku Genjin, I was speechless. The beauty of its colors simply can’t be captured in photographs. It was truly amazing. The way the colors change under light is something you can only experience in person.
 
Originally, indie sofubi existed outside the art world. But NAG intentionally exhibited works like Bouryoku Genjin at art fairs, consciously trying to push sofubi closer to the realm of art. I think he was someone who truly elevated the value of sofubi itself.

The next event is scheduled for April this year, and the theme will be “Home — My Secret Base.” A home is the core of a person’s inner world, and at the same time it is also my own “secret base.”
 
For this event, I chose an antique furniture shop that I deeply love as the venue. I first discovered the shop by chance while riding in a taxi. I only caught a brief glimpse of a street corner, but something about the atmosphere of the place immediately drew my attention. Almost instinctively, I took out my phone and searched for the store. Since then, many of the display cabinets in my own “secret base” have come from that shop. It has become the furniture store I trust most and the first place I think of when I need something special.
 
My real “home”—my secret base—is not a space that is normally open to the public. Over the years, I have shaped it into a carefully organized toy display space, guided by my own sensibilities. In a way, it feels like my own small toy shop. Every day when I return home, I stop in that space, look at the pieces, and spend a quiet moment with them.
 
For me, this secret base is not simply a place to keep a collection. It is a place that gives me a deep sense of comfort and fulfillment. And it is precisely this private experience—something that cannot easily be recreated—that I hope visitors will feel as the meaning of “home” through this event.
 
For the first time, I plan to open up my own private space—something I have never shown publicly before—along with the personal collection I have carefully built over many years. It will be a highly personal exhibition, expressing my experiences and identity through the filter of sofubi.

I’m also preparing something new for the next 4KDO10. Recently, 4K and I established PIEDPIPER STUDIO, creating an environment where we can collaborate with more creators and develop new ideas together.

After NAG passed away, I spent a long time thinking about whether 4KDO10 should continue. He had almost no interest in material things. Everything he earned was poured back into developing sofubi. Because of that, I decided that I would continue 4KDO10 with everything I have, in order to carry on his vision.
 
One of my goals is to introduce the work of PIED PIPER, a sculptor NAG deeply trusted, to a wider audience both in Japan and overseas. I would also like to organize solo exhibitions for him. NAG is no longer with us, but in order to carry on his legacy, PIED PIPER focuses on the creative side while I handle the business side. Even if the two of us together still cannot surpass NAG, we hope to move one step closer to what he achieved.
 
We are from a younger generation than NAG. Because of that, we want to expand this network to even younger creators. And through that, we hope 4KDO10 will continue into the future.