I might consider myself as one of those people who is "born to be a lepidopterist/entomologist". The most memorable moments during my childhood were when I was in the field with my net, rather than pursuing the activities of other more typical children. As I grew older, I became interested in the butterfly fauna of my own country of Japan, and built my own personal collection, collecting most of the butterfly species that occur in the country. At that time, to me, the Neotropical region was a place that only existed in books, until I had the opportunity to actually travel to Ecuador in person when I was wrapping up my senior year in college. Although the main purpose of this trip was to satisfy a lifelong desire to see some of the many magnificent and rare Neotropical butterflies, I was also amazed to see the vast tropical rainforest, the variety of habitats within a single country, and the high diversity of butterflies – none of which was comparable to my own country. My initial trips as a collector soon changed and I began to focus on Neotropical butterflies in a more scientific manner, realizing that my true interests and real passion lay in research on Lepidoptera, where I could make significant contributions to science and feel a sense of accomplishment.