With a passion like none, Koushin Yamada from Japan has made a name for himself in the world of art. After dedicating his life to art, he has found peace in creating work that satisfies himself, no one and nothing else. He’s always searching for something different and shows us that different can be better instead of  ‘following the crowd.’ 日本のファインアーティスト山田耕臣は、たぐい稀なる情熱で、世界のアート界に名をなした芸術家である。彼は、生活をアートに捧げ、何よりも自分自身が満足出来し、自分の心を癒すことが出来る作品を創作し続けてきた。いつも、新しいものを探求し続ける山田耕臣。彼の作品は、大衆に迎合し、既存のものを追い求めるより、何か、新しいものを見つける方が面白いことを、見る人に思い起こさせてくれる。ルーツ・アンド・レジャーは、耕臣の作品、インスピレーション、生活に共感し、彼にインタビューした。  Roots and Leisure talks with the hyper-creative Japanese artist Koushin Yamada from Tokyo. Read on to know about his life, his art and his source of inspiration for his wacky pieces! [Japanese text and translation by Koushin Yamada and Sachiko Imamura D’Souza.] Konichiwa Koushin San! Tell us a bit about yourself, your work and your background. こんにちわ、耕臣さん。まず、耕臣さんご自身について、どの様な創作活動をされてきたか、また、生い立ちについて、簡単に教えて下さい。 Konichiwa! My name is Koushin Yamada. I am 33 years old and was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan. Growing up, my family always struggled both financially and physically. My father, who was a clay model artist and art dealer, left my family when I was still a teenager. I didn’t particularly have many close friends and …