Meet the Kikuchi Family-Toru, Yukiko, Hika and Michiru

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By Maria Smietana Photos by Kendal Nicole Photography

Maria Smietana Editor-in-Chief and content writer

Geographically speaking, the Kikuchi family has come a long way. Their eldest son Hikaru (Hika), has additionally had a long and inspiring developmental journey.

Hika’s dad, Toru, is a native of Japan who grew up in Hawaii and moved back to Japan after he graduated from college. He met Yukiko, his future wife, in Tokyo. Hika was born with Down syndrome about two years after the Kikuchis were married. He also suffered from atrioventricular septal defect (ASVD), a condition in which there are holes between the two chambers of the heart. ASVD is found in 30-47 percent of Down syndrome babies. “The holes were repaired when Hika was just one month old,” Toru recalled, “so he didn’t come home for three months after his birth. But he is completely healthy now.”

The family emigrated to the U.S. in 1995, living first in Houston, where their younger son, Michiru, was born, and then in Las Vegas before Toru’s work in the automotive industry finally brought them to Indiana in 2004.

Settling in Carmel, the Kikuchis found the school system to be a great fit for their boys. “Creekside Middle School and Carmel High School have very good special needs classes and teachers,” said Yukiko, who works for a casting manufacturer. “Hika had a fantastic time between the 6th and 12th grades.” Hika’s best friend Michael even wrote in his yearbook that he wanted Hika to be his best man at his wedding. “In 2020,” Toru said, “Michael got married to his beautiful bride Elyse, and although Hika wasn’t his best man, Michael kept his promise by having Hika as one of his groomsmen!”

Since graduating from high school, Hika, who turned 29 in April, has been going to the Easterseals Crossroads day center on weekdays. His parents rely on IndyGo’s Open Door bus to get him there, but that has proven to be a headache. “The reason why we moved from Carmel to Indianapolis [three years ago] is because Open Door only operates within Marion County,” Toru said. “But it is not as reliable as we want it to be. It may arrive late by as much as four hours.”

Hika continues to play baseball on the Allisonville Youth Baseball and Softball Challenger Team, something he has done each spring since coming to Indiana. He also participates in Special Olympics bowling and loves to go to pro wrestling events. He gets a lot of joy from singing, something he comes by naturally. Both Toru and Yukiko have beautiful voices, and often do karaoke at home. Toru also performs in two acoustic duos--Typical Summer, the collaboration he formed with vocalist and ukulele player Cassandra Leigh, https://www.facebook.com/ TypicalSummerBand, and Infinity, with vocalist Amanda McLaren. Hika loves to watch his dad perform. “Rock Garage (the Castleton-based music lesson center that also matches up musicians who want to form bands) has been very welcoming to our family,” Yukiko said. “They’ve let Hika sing on stage with Toru on the spur of the moment--very open, loving, and inclusive people.”

The biggest turning point in Hika’s life was the result of serendipity. About five years ago, Toru started taking Saturday art classes at Sho-Art, a studio near Eagle Creek Park owned and run by local artist and fellow Japanese native Shoko Schutte. “One day I brought Hika to class, and Shoko was impressed with Hika’s unique [artistic] style and started coaching him,” Toru said. Hika enjoyed painting under Shoko’s tutelage, and his career as an artist of abstract paintings took off. He now actively participates in art shows and festivals, where he exhibits and sells his paintings. Toru credits the Fishers Arts Council for being a huge supporter for Hika’s art. www.facebook.com/artbyhika. Sadly, Shoko passed away in March at the age of 70 after battling cancer. “Hika has been taking a break from painting because of this, but we hope for him to start painting again soon,” Toru said.

Because Hika cannot be left home alone, Toru and Yukiko have had to adjust to not having much time as a couple. Wherever the Kikuchis go, they’re pretty much a trio. They’ve travelled all over Europe and to several states in the U.S. “We’ve loved every city we’ve been to,” Toru said.

At home, Hika like to relax by watching TV. Some of his favorites are WWE, Three’s Company, and the Muppet Show. The family tries to maintain traditional Japanese culture and celebrate holidays together. They also love going out to eat. “We don’t have one favorite spot; we like to discover new and different places,” Yukiko said. “We basically choose the menu items for Hika, unless the menu has pictures of the food.”

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