Adair, John (American, 1942–2025)

Adair, John Augustine, Jr. was an antique dealer, collector, and long-term resident of Japan, active in the field of Japanese decorative arts and folk art. After graduating from Kenyon College in 1964 with a degree in economics and working for the First National Bank of Chicago, he relocated to Tokyo in the late 1960s, where he initially taught English before entering the antiques trade. In 1978, he founded Kurofune, an antiques gallery in Tokyo that specialized in Japanese furniture, tansu, basketry, textiles, screens, porcelain, folk art, and prints. Over the following decades, Kurofune became one of the best-known foreign-operated antique shops in Tokyo, particularly associated with the Roppongi district, and developed an international clientele through export and shipping services.

Adair operated Kurofune until his retirement in 2013, after which the gallery closed. He subsequently returned to the United States and settled in Kansas City, Missouri. In addition to his activities as a dealer and collector, he served for many years as a director of Exchange Bankshares Corporation of Kansas and Exchange Bank & Trust, Atchison, Kansas. Following his death in 2025, portions of his personal collection, including Japanese textiles and rugs, entered the auction market.