After completing his graduate degrees, Kuwayama worked at the Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and then at the National Palace Museum in Taiwan.
[1][4] Kuwayama had a reputation of exceptional judgment for tangible, three dimensional objects, and a preferential, personal affinity for the simple artistic expressions of early Japanese wares.
At the end of Kuwayama’s tenure, the museum had collected a significant amount of Tang and Song dynasty pieces as their elegant shapes and glazed in monochromatic tones reflected his tastes.
At his own home, Kuwayama brought them together with archaeologist Edward Von der Porten to facilitate a professional level inquiry into the site.
Kuwayama wrote to Jolene Koester, CSUN president, in which he disputed the authenticity of the donated objects and offered to examine the collection.