It was with great sadness we learnt that our friend Aquio Nishida passed away at the begining of February 2009 . Aquio was a designer of toys and automata, museum curator and author. His beautifully crafted work was full of humour and fun. His museum in Arima , near Kobe was also full of fun and laughter. He surrounded himself with young and enthusiastic staff who filled the museum with life. Children would sit spellbound as Aquio and his staff showed them different toys and puzzles from around the world. Aquio invited us to Japan in 2004 after commissioning 4 automata for his museum. It was thanks to him that we got the opportunity to meet Noh mask carver Baku Adachi for the first time. It was a pleasure and privilege to have known Aquio and we are eternally grateful for all he did for us. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this sad time. Stephen Foster

Aquio Nishida