Kimono stylist & designer Nobuaki Tomita
Nobuaki Tomita is a Japanese kimono stylist and textile designer. Born in 1963 in Kyoto, Japan. He established his own company “Kyokaori” at the age of 27 after learning about kimono industry. He has provided original kimono for over 2,000 TV programs -for example 50th, 51th, 53th and 56th NHK Year-end Grand Song Festival and NHK morning drama series, movies. For the theatre, he supervised the costumes for The Cherry Orchard starring Mitsuko Mori, Mainoie starring Youko Yamamoto. While working for Kimono Salon magazine in 2003 and 2004, he created kimono for actresses Kyoko Koizumi, Kyoko Hasegawa Rina Uchiyama and Yukie Nakama He was also selected as one of 4 master Kimono by woman’s magazine Fujingaho.
In 1994 and 1995, he presented kimono shows for cultural exchange between China and Japan in Shanghai. Since 2006, he has held kimono shows and exhibitions in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Las Vegas, and Los Angels. His high-profile works were donated to the Bowers Museum of Santa Ana, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, Palo Alto Art Center, and Japanese American National Museum. He was invited to 40th, 41st, and 42nd the Cherry Blossom Festival in San Francisco. On April 16th 2009, he threw out the opening pitch at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles wearing one of his original kimono to promote the traditional clothing and Japanese culture internationally. He hosted a kimono show on the next day. These were one of the events to mark the centennial of the Japan America Society of Southern California. In November 2010 he was invited to present a lecture followed by a demonstration at Southern Taiwan University and WuFeng University in Taiwan.
He is actively working on kimono with designs inspired by local special products and traditions through Japan, exporting Japanese culture through his original works. These activities are set a high valuation both in Japan and in other countries, including the U.S.. Currently, based on his thought “Culture supported by economy is collapsing because of depression, and now it’s the time that culture supports economy”, he tries to develop Japanese culture producer to support tourism country Japan. To stimulate rural areas, he works on various approaches, for examples, the art event which was called『Art village and special lecturer at the faculty of arts & design :in Ureshino city, Saga Pref., in Ebino city, Miyazaki Pref., in Matsusaka city, Mie Pref., in Shibukawa city, Gunma Pref,』and the event which was called『IKAHO cultural meeting and memorial collection at 1000 stone steps and memorial : in Ikaho hot spring, Gunma Pref., 』. These events were huge successes and they get a lot of press.
He also devotes his energy to pass on traditional Japanese culture. He was a lecturer of special program at several universities, including Kurume University, Kyushu Sangyo University, and Faculty of Art and Design University of Toyama
Recognized his contribution for rural areas, he is authorized tourism ambassador.
Himi city, Toyama Pref. (2007.1.16)
Ureshino city, Saga Pref. (2009.2.17)
Yokote city, Akita Pref. (2009.2.25)
Saga Pref. (2009.8)
Shibukawa city, Gunma Pref. (2009.9)
Ikaho hot spring, (2009.9)
Gunma Pref.Gunma Pref. (2010.1)
Kimono Shows, Exhibitions and Events in Japan
2008
Yokote city, Akita・Himi city, Toyama・Toyooka city, Hyogo・Ise city, Mie (Okage Yokocho)・Ureshino city, Saga・Higashisonogi cho, Nagasaki・Amami, Kagoshima
2009
Himi city, Toyama 「Kimono and a bike」shooting poster
Ureshino city, Saga 「We love kimono」
Yokote city, Akita 「Masuda: a town where matches kimono」
Matsuzaka city, Mie 「the world of acclaimed kimono stylist」
Takaoka city, Toyama: Kimono show at Faculty of Art design, University of Toyama
Mastusaka city, Mie 「Matsusaka beef festival」
designed long sleeve kimono for champion’s Matsusaka beef
2010
The faculty of Arts & design, University of Toyama, Open class
「Art village where Gary Bukovnik is invited」(Ureshino city, Saga, Ebino city, Miyazaki, Shibukawa city, Gunma, Matsuzaka city, Mie, Kyoto city)
Kimono show as a special event of the Opening ceremony at Kurume University
Kimono exhibition at Kurume University
「Ikaho hot springs Project」IKAHO cultural meeting 石段 (ishidan) 1000 = ICMI1000 (Gunma Pref.)
2010 planed
October lecture and symposium of the 50th anniversary events of the faculty of economics at Kyushu Sangyo University
Kimono lecture shows in the world.
2008
Community School of Music and Arts・The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco
UCLA・Korean Culture Center・The Japanese American Cultural & Community Center (JACCC)・Bowers Museum・RSVP Library(organized by Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan)Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles・Palo Alto Art center
2009
100th event of Japan America Society of Southern California
「Kimono demonstration & lecture show」「100 kimono people at Dodger Stadium」
BOWERS MUSEUM 「SAMURAI TREASURES FROM JAPAN」
2010
「Kimono lecture show in Hawaii visit」(Hawaii)
「Japan America Society of Southern California finale」(Embassy of the United State)