Culture
Craft festival "Monomachi" in Tokyo!
Hello, I am Rei Furuya, ITA Certified Teacher, and director of ITA. From 24th to 26th last month, Monomachi, an event held in Tokyo's Taito Ward, was held. Ateliers, studios, and stores offered workshops and other opportunities for visitors to experience their skills. This year, 110 stores participated in the event. My studio “Aoi Kai” also participated in the event as we did last year. About 90 people attended the workshop this year. The wide age range, from 3 years old to elderly participated. It is always a lot of work to prepare for the event, but we received comments such as, “I was looking forward to experiencing tsumami zaiku!", “I came last […]
Anime Event and Tsumami zaiku in Singapore
Hello! ITA Certified Teacher 006, Juveina Sim from Singapore recently attended an anime event in Singapore, Doujinfes @ Leisure Park Kallang and here is the event report. Doujinfes @ Leisure Park Kallang was held on 24 & 25 February 2024. It was an exciting weekend where cosplayers, artists, creators, makers, fans etc gathered together to hang out, take photos, shop at Artist Alley etc. There are many booths by amazingly talented creators who market their original illustrations, fan art merchandise, handmade crafts etc. Doujinfes Team Artist Instagram : @kuehmerlion Juveina also boothed at the event, sharing with her crocheter partner (IG: @kquaintsg ). She sells her original creations tsumami zaiku hair […]
Geisha Chronicles: Exploring 'Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san
Have you read or watched"舞妓さん家のまかないさん" ("Maiko-san Chi no Makanai-san")? It's a popular manga and anime series in Japan. The story follows Kiyo, who arrives in Kyoto from Aomori with her childhood friend, Suu, to become Maiko. They join an okiya, which serves not only as their living quarters but also trains apprentices, known as "shikomi-san," to become accomplished Maiko and support them when they debut or become independent as Geiko. Kiyo eventually becomes the okiya's cook ("makanai-san"), while Suu pursues her dream of becoming a maiko. The narrative depicts the daily lives and relationships of women working in the geisha world. I watched the drama on Netflix, where you can experience the […]