Genpei Akasegawa was not only an artist who successfully transitioned from the avant-garde to the broader realm of popular culture but also an award-winning writer and photographer. He emerged in the Japanese art scene in the 1960s. He was initially involved in the radical ‘Anti-Art’ movement and later became a member of the influential artist collectives Neo-Dada and Hi Red Center.

The famous Model 1,000-Yen Note Incident (1963), which involved a real-life police investigation and trial, solidified his reputation as an inspired conceptualist. In 1986, Akasegawa, and his collaborators, including the Japanese architect Terunobu Fujimori, formed a new group called the Rojō Kansatsu Gakkai (Street Observation Society). Within this group, Akasegawa showcased a series of photographs featuring Tokyo's bizarre and overlooked architectural features. These structures, referred to by Akasegawa as 'Thommasons', were often disregarded by society but were repurposed by Akasegawa as objects of artistic value. In addition to his artistic work, Akasegawa was also a prolific writer and critic, having authored over 20 publications on art and culture. Among his critically acclaimed works is Father Has Disappeared (1981), which received the 84th Akutagawa Prize. Moreover, Akasegawa has had retrospective exhibitions at the Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art, Chiba City Museum, and Oita City Museum. Furthermore, his work is included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.