In conversation with artist and entrepreneur Akihiko Shimoyama: where lucid dreaming, art, and neuroscience meet

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In conversation with artist and entrepreneur Akihiko Shimoyama

On October 29, 2025, members of DreamDive had the opportunity to join a morning meeting hosted by artist and entrepreneur Akihiko Shimoyama (@shimomondesu).

We originally visited out of curiosity—someone with an intriguing background, and a great fit for members interested in the intersection of art and the brain. We never expected we'd end up having such a deep conversation about lucid dreaming and dream journaling, so it became a truly memorable encounter.

Shimomon's approach to lucid dreaming training

Shimoyama has kept a dream journal since middle school and is also a lucid dreaming practitioner. What stood out in particular was his idea of breaking lucid dreaming into three trainable abilities:

  1. Recognizing that you're dreaming — the ability to realize "this is a dream" while inside the dream
  2. Building the world — the ability to intentionally create and control the dream world
  3. Remembering the dream — the ability to vividly recall the experience after waking up

Rather than simply keeping a dream journal, focusing on strengthening these three abilities feels like a practical framework that others can adopt as well.

Blending art, neuroscience, and philosophy

After graduating from the University of Tokyo, Shimoyama earned a master's degree at Tokyo University of the Arts and is currently a doctoral student at Keio University. He has an uncommon background—balancing entrepreneurship with both art-making and academic research.

At Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, his artworks are exhibited at the ASEAN booth in the "International Organizations Pavilion." His work has also been displayed in the office of Japan's Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, among other places—reflecting recognition across a wide range of fields.

Closing

Thank you, Shimoyama-san, for your time and generosity. We'd love to talk again.

We believe new possibilities will emerge by exploring lucid dreaming not only through science, but also through art and philosophy.