Ken Nimori has an unusual personal background. He is a Japanese who, despite having lived almost always in Tokyo, did not beyond kindergarten receive Japanese education. He spent his full 12 years of schooling at the American School in Japan.
This happened because Ken is the son of Ki Nimori, recently retired teacher of fine art at ASIJ. Ki emerged as a sculptor from the John Herron School of Art in Indianopolis. Forty-six years ago he began teaching sculpting, Navajo weaving and cabinet building at ASIJ. Later he offered a course in stained glass and went to Washington to learn to use glass as a medium for sculpture. He went on sabbatical leave to study glass at the University of Applied Arts in Prague. On a two-year leave of absence he went to ASIJ's sister school in Australia to teach sculpture, pottery and woodblock printing. Pre-eminently, he is an international exhibiting sculptor.
Ken, Ki's younger son, was 4 when the family went to Australia. On the family's return to Tokyo, Ken entered ASIJ. Like many small children in similar positions, he spoke Japanese naturally, and was tutored in the language in separate classes.