Poet Keiichi Nakamura first wrote tanka, and then composed monotype lithographs after graduating from the University of Sapporo. Later he created collages in which he explored the fusion of poetry with images.
He became interested in mail art (art which is circulated by post among artists themselves, circumventing galleries and the established art market) after reading Shozo Shimamoto's book "Geijutsu wa Hito o Odorokasu Koto (Art is Meant to Disturb)," half of which is composed of mail art.
Nakamura's initiation into the international world of visual poetry occurred after he replied to a postcard from Shimamoto. His address, which he had included in his reply, was further sent or "recycled" into a network in Europe, and he was asked to send a visual poem for Guillermo Deisler's journal UNI/vers(;) in 1994.