This is sad news. He was a lover of nature and a true artist. Really such an interesting man. I had setup two aquariums using his products and styling advice, they looked gorgeous in my house. They were freshwater aquariums but were vivid in many ways. Visitors to my home would comment to me that I had a "really nice saltwater tank." His techniques and products made freshwater aquariums special. He also made me notice the subtle beauties in nature a lot more.
The man that inspired entire generations of aquarists, applied the bonsai concepts to acuatic gardening and created a entirely new type of aquariums using freswater shrimps, passed from pneumonia at his home in Niigata at 61 years old.
I can't think of anyone else who inspired me as much as Mr. Amano throughout my life (I'm obviously more passionate about aquariums than about coding). I admire his work, his way of viewing things differently and how he revolutionised aquascaping and turned it into an art form with its own philosophy.
The world was a little bit more beautiful than it would have been without him.
I spent years poring over his books, writings and using his beautiful products to build my own 'Amano' nature aquarium.
A truly fascinating man, he was apparently seen as a bit unconventional and a rebel in his home country. I think a lot of trailblazers are indeed seen that way. I hope his company survives to live a long healthy life without him at the helm.
Thank you so much for sharing this. I have a significant interest in Japanese gardens but I had never encountered aquaculture as shown here. It's a sad occasion, but beautiful work.
