Lewis Hamilton’s meeting with renowned samurai artist Tetsuro Shimaguchi has developed into an unexpected connection with Ferrari, with the Japanese performer receiving a special invitation to visit the company’s museum in Italy.
Shimaguchi visited on 18 July, less than four months after the seven-time Formula 1 world champion went to meet him in Tokyo. The sequence has turned what began as a personal cultural experience for Lewis Hamilton into a wider exchange involving members of the Ferrari organisation.
Lewis Hamilton connection leads Tetsuro Shimaguchi to Ferrari
Explaining how the visit came about, Tetsuro Shimaguchi directly linked the invitation to his earlier encounter with the Briton.
“I was invited to the Ferrari Museum in Modena on July 18th. In March, Lewis Hamilton came to visit me, and the director, the factory team, and everyone at headquarters were looking forward to meeting me,” Shimaguchi said.
The statement suggests that interest in the Japanese artist extended beyond Hamilton himself. It does not, however, establish that Ferrari and Shimaguchi have agreed to a commercial partnership, performance or future project, and the museum visit should not be presented as confirmation of one.
What can be established is that Hamilton’s interest in Japanese culture created the initial connection. The Ferrari driver met Shimaguchi in Tokyo ahead of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix and took part in a specialised samurai lesson at his dojo.
Who is Kill Bill samurai artist Tetsuro Shimaguchi?
Tetsuro Shimaguchi is more than an actor associated with Kill Bill: Volume 1. He appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s film as Miki, a member of the Crazy 88, while also teaching and choreographing sword-fighting sequences for its Japanese sections, including parts of the celebrated battle at the House of Blue Leaves.
He founded the samurai artist group Kengishu Kamui in 1998, combining theatrical performance, martial arts and the formal traditions associated with Japanese swordsmanship. His subsequent work has included performances and cultural projects in Japan and internationally.
That background explains Hamilton’s enthusiasm for their March encounter. The Briton has identified Kill Bill as one of his favourite films and approached the lesson as more than an opportunity to learn choreographed movements with a sword.
The experience also reconnected Hamilton with his childhood. He studied karate for seven years after initially taking lessons to help him deal with bullying, later crediting the discipline with teaching him respect and humility. Training with Shimaguchi therefore brought together his interest in the film, his appreciation of Japanese culture and memories of his own martial-arts education.
Lewis Hamilton invited Tetsuro Shimaguchi to the Ferrari museum
"I was invited to the Ferrari Museum in Modena on July 18th.
In March, Lewis Hamilton came to visit me, and the director, the factory team, and everyone at headquarters were looking forward to meeting me. pic.twitter.com/UPCS21gSmu
— Scuderia Fans (@ScuderiaFansF1) August 1, 2026
A cultural connection beyond Formula 1
Shimaguchi’s subsequent Ferrari museum visit illustrates how Hamilton’s activities away from the circuit can occasionally create connections with the wider organisation around him. In this instance, an encounter arranged during the Formula 1 season appears to have generated enough interest for Ferrari personnel to welcome the Japanese artist to Italy.
It would be premature to interpret the visit as evidence of an entertainment project or formal collaboration. Neither Ferrari nor Lewis Hamilton has announced such an initiative, while Shimaguchi’s statement refers only to the invitation and the enthusiasm surrounding his arrival.
Even without a confirmed next step, the visit adds an unusual chapter to Lewis Hamilton’s first-hand exploration of Japanese culture. A lesson that began inside a Tokyo dojo ultimately brought one of the creative figures behind a film he admires into Ferrari’s historic world in Italy.
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