ATELIER SAKURA can teach everything about kimono

A new business called ATELIER SAKURA, specializing all things related to Okinawan culture and customs is now open in Yomitan.

ATELIER SAKURA is the brainchild of Takako Arakaki, a professional dancer and kimono coordinator, who will teach how to dress in and wear a kimono both in Japanese and traditional Okinawan style, including make-up and hairstyle to go with the dress.

ATELIER SAKURA teaches comprehensively how and when to wear a kimono, including proper accessories, makeup and hairdo.

Takako explains that there are many different ways of how to wear a kimono depending on occasion. There’s also a big difference in the original Japanese way of wearing kimono and traditional Okinawan way. “Many foreigners have a kimono but don’t know how and when to wear it,” she says, adding “Many also don’t know the many kimono accessories that are necessary when wearing kimono, like kimono underwear, obi, obijime, obiage, erishinn, obi-ita, and so on.”

She will teach and help how to wear it properly on different occasions like weddings or anniversaries and any special occasion including birthdays, going away and welcome parties, women’s parties and so on.

She also teaches how to cook traditional Okinawan food including sweets, and any other aspect of Okinawan life and culture. Just ask.

Other activities at ATELIER SAKURA include tea parties that offer a nice chance to have a group of friends to come together and have a good and educational time and have fun. At the party there are, besides the tea, traditional Okinawan dance, koto and sanshin music, game playing and sweets.

The kimono lessons, that last about two hours, cost $30 for one time. The fee for a tea party is $30. The price for coordinating kimono, makeup and hairdo for a wedding or any other occasion depends on the job.

She welcomes anyone who’s interested in Okinawan life and culture, man or woman of any nationality, to give her a call at 090-6779-7629 or 098-958-2722. Here email is takako.a88@gmail.com.

ATELIER SAKURA is located in an old Okinawan style private house at 98 Aza Tokeshi, Yomitan.

Takako Arakaki

Takako Arakaki, a model and kimono coordinator and the proprietor of ATELIER SAKURA.

Takako Arakaki earned the Kyoto Kimono Academy Assistant Professor Qualification in 1998, and opened the Japan Furnishing Consultant Association YURISUGATA Kimono Institution in 2003.

She currently coordinates kimonos for young ladies on their Coming of Age and graduation ceremonies, and Senior Citizens’ Day ceremonies. She advises models, TV personalities and advertising agencies as a kimono coordinator.

She’s a dress coordinator for dancers at the Oinawa National Theater.

In 1996 she won the Okinawa Times Artistic Award fr Ryukyu Dance, and a Grand Prize of Traditional Art of Pubic Entertainment.

She has appeared in productions with famous Japanese TV and movie stars, and been a part in Ryotaro Sugi’s dance performance at various venues including Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and in Vietnam.

She gives performances of Japanese and Okinawan dance.

19:23 29 Mar , 2024