I was influenced by my grandmother, aunt and my mother. My grandmother had eight children, and she managed to work in the family restaurant, do housework and wear kimono. I vaguely remember her unpicking the family’s kimono and washing them by hand. My aunt had a kimono class at her house in Kawasaki. She always gave good advice to my mother and they enjoyed discussing together about getting my kimono ready for me. It was their shared pleasure. My mother loved kimono so much that even when she didn’t wear it, she would sometimes open the drawers just so that we could look at them together. She would tell me about where the family kimono came from and we would enjoy the wonderful fabrics.
Because I am now working in Japanese cultural exchange, I often have occasion to meet people in kimono, and I think I am influenced by that. I think that the way that women conduct themselves in kimono is really beautiful.