Tsumami zaiku exhibition in Tokyo

Hello. I am Naoko Noguchi, ITA Certified Teacher in France.

I participated in an exhibition “NO BORDERS A TWENTY - FIRST CENTURY EXHIBIT” held from 21 - 25 January 2025 at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum.

Unfortunately, I could not go to see the exhibition since I live far from Japan but I saw some of the photos and the videos.

All the other participants' creations are amazing for the technique and the design side as well, I just regret I could not see them for real.

For this exhibition, I made one piece of hair accessories. The title is “Hair Ornaments for a Bride at Garden Party”

Tsumami zaiku is a traditional Japanese art craft, so mainly the hair accessories are traditional Japanese style which are used when we put on Kimonos.

I like the Japanese traditional Tsumami Kanazashi much, this is the reason I keep making them and studying Tsumami zaiku with a lot of passion.

Here in France, people are amazed by the sight of the traditional Kanzashi, but I am questioning myself how they are going to use the kanzashi?

They can maybe be used as a home decoration, but I actually want them to be used as hair accessories.

I imagined an opportunity for people in France to use hair accessories, maybe it is for their wedding party!

This time I tried to make something Western, natural, and modern which might fit their style while still using the traditional technique of Tsumami zaiku.

I would like to keep finding opportunities and new designs that local people can easily use in France.

And of course, I would like to share the traditional side of Tsumami zaiku as well.