Businesses
Shogun's Gallery
Joshua Peterson took over as Shogun's owner and operator in 2019. He and founders Jim and Kimiko King met through common friends and discovered a shared passion for Japanese history, culture, and aesthetics. Joshua grew up in Northwest Portland, window shopping at Shogun's retail location as he walked home from school. Joshua's interest in Japanese culture started with Aikido as a child. He studied Japanese language at Lincoln High School, then spent his senior year at Shibuya Makuhari High School in the Chiba Prefecture east of Tokyo, where he joined the Tea Ceremony club. He spent his first college year at Miyazaki University, augmenting his studies with the study of Tea and Kyudo archery and traveled extensively in Japan. After finishing his degree in wildlife biology, he spent ten years working in the field, specifically on Pacific Northwest bat populations and other animal and plant ecologies, before shifting careers. Joshua helped to establish one of the original e-commerce web platforms for Powell’s Books and spent 25 years in e-commerce for Powell’s and Goodwill Industries. Excited to use his Japanese language skills and re-immerse himself in Japanese culture, Joshua began to help Jim and Kimiko with the Gallery, which had since established itself as a Portland Institution known for its high-quality and impeccably pedigreed collections. It quickly became apparent to Joshua and the Kings that he was uniquely qualified to take over the reins so the Kings could refocus their attention to other passions. It's been a dream come true for Joshua, and he is looking forward to growing the galleries’ collections and connections.