Q.What made you decide to enter this industry?

I had originally worked at Daiei and was sent to a company called Rikkar, which was bankrupted and was helped by Daiei. I was asked to work for the reorganization plan. As part of the plan, we decided upon BERNINA sewing machines, which are recognized as one of the best sewing machines. That was my beginning to enter this industry. At that time, I dealt with sewing machines as work, but I did not make anything. As I have a back ground in engineering, and sewing machines are mechanical, it was easy for me to handle the sewing machine. Then, I went to the United States to learn how to make quilts with the sewing machine. After that, we opened “Ginza Quilt Eye” as a kind of show room / work shop with Mr. Hiroshi Kawashima. We organized many classes, which were introduced by the Editor-In-Chief of Nihon Vogue (Japan Vogue) publishing company to launch and establish the sewing machines — with various techniques I leaned in the USA. With my passion of the sewing machine, I left the company and established “Bernina JAPAN” with Mr. Kawashima in Aug. 1997. For 10 years, I studied the Bernina sewing machine and learned various software by doing so. Because we first introduced the sewing machine patchwork quilt in Japan, we wanted to keep that achievement, which was the foundation of my passion. Since I started out as the first sewing machine patchwork quilt enterprise in Japan, I didn’t want to erase the footprints! It was 13 years ago that I left Bernina Japan and founded the current company by myself. At that time, a very famous quilting teacher advised me to make something – – otherwise… your passion does not touch the heart of other people. I can’t tell, unless I make it myself. Thanks to that advice, I became interested in (creating) making something! I felt like I realized the basics of being able to convey the quality of Bernina sewing machines by actually putting out works for the Tokyo Dome — and making them by winning or winning prizes! I applied for the contest of Tokyo International Quilt Festival and won some prizes! Then, I gradually understood the principals to explain more about the advantages of the Bernina sewing machine by creating. It is connected to what I still make, which is service for my customers! It feels like I entered from there!

Q. You mentioned that you worked (created) for Yumi Katsura’s Paris Fashion Week before. Would you tell us more about it?

I’ve been with Ms. Kathy Nakajima (who is a very famous Hawaiian quilting teacher) for almost 30 years. She asked me to work for Yumi Katsura. After having the meeting, I realized that I would work/create for the Paris Fashion Week Collection and was so excited about it. I was wondering what to do, but it was a job where I had to zigzag gold thread. I found that the patterns were already put onto the fabrics and my work was to sew in zigzag with the gold threads. I did it for about 10 days, but I couldn’t do it without a Bernina sewing machine. And thanks to my long deep learning experience from various teachers about the relationship between threads, sewing machines, and fabrics – – I sewed! It’s no exaggeration to say that…I really did sew for 10 days from 8:00 am to 11:00 pm, and it was a lot of fun!

-Did you make a dress for this job?

Yes, that was cut silk (which was originally from a Japanese Kimono Obi (the tie) and aligned like patchwork. For example, I made a 50cm X 2m square; however, the dress paper pattern was already put onto the fabrics roughly. I fixed it correctly…. After the Paris collection fashion show, it was held in Japan, too. That dress was listed in the show pamphlet and also my company was mentioned. (Please refer to the photos.) What was most exciting is that I was invited to the show by YUMI KATSURA (who is a famous fashion designer). I took the photo with her. She was so gentle and caring with the other guests– like the quilting teachers.

-Wow, you sewed this all by yourself?

Yes, I sewed all the spaces between each fabric with goldish lame color threads. I sewed in zigzag and also needed to sew without stopping and not cut. I sewed 3M (approx.118inches) like quilting. I had made and sent a sample of how many mm wide and how many threads. It was the most difficult to sew and I chose the most beautiful thread. She chose the most difficult thread… It was really hard to do that!

Q. I believe that you have been doing your own designs recently. How do you come up with the design and how do you get the inspiration for your original designs?

Basically, I am interested in geometrical patterns. When a landscape or geometrical thing comes out on TV, it’s like something interesting – what happens when you actually do it with a sewing machine? I imagine the shape. When I was a student, I often drew lines such as drawings in machines. When I do interior work, I draw drawings with lines, so it is a collection of vertical, horizontal and diagonal line curves. I decided I would like to try something like that! As I said before, I studied drawing and also worked for the interior industry. I am really fascinated with the ensemble of various lines and curves. I sometimes arrange it as a design for a bag and also in quilts. As I always use lines, I do not use any printed patterns. It was most unfortunate that the International Quilt Festival (IQF) in Houston was cancelled last year. Therefore, I applied to the contest for IQF this year. The theme of my work is “TEMARI.”

―It’s a traditional Japanese Temari, isn’t it?

I have various Temari embroidery embroidered on it, but it’s not fun to do… as it is – – so, I’m drawing various lines so that I can see some of them. (It is a ball of cotton wound tightly around with threads of many colors for bouncing) which is very beautiful and was used for the traditional Japanese ball playing. I did a lot of embroidery work with various colors threads. I can show you a part of my work. You can see the photo of the pink white quilting. You may think that it was made by hand sewing. But, I actually did it with a sewing machine. It looks like hand sewing with the French technique“Boutis”. I am interested in the “stuffing filled” points of Boutis, which was made by hand sewing. It was said that part was done with a Sashiko sewing machine. Actually, you can sew with a normal sewing machine, a Bernina sewing machine. I was there with a world-famous Japanese teacher who said, “Sewing machines are evil.” On the contrary, various teachers say, “You don’t have to do what you do by hand, with a sewing machine.” Some teachers said that if we can do hand sewing, it is not necessary to use the sewing machine. I understand that, but I’m still a sewing machine shop, so the fact that I can do this with a sewing machine also shows that I can do this…if I make an effort with someone who likes sewing machines! This is a big deal. These days, I’m not a little rebellious against these famous teachers (laughs). I’ve been wondering if I could do something that was done by hand with a sewing machine, and I’ve been doing that kind of thing these days! I have worked with sewing machines for a long time and I would like to introduce to people the many things we can do with a sewing machine. I am trying to explore the techniques by sewing machines more… that is what I do now.

Q. I think everyone has their own feelings (idea/wish) in each work; but would you mention your most special work and the feelings contained in it?

(About the pink and white quilt which I applied at the International Quilt Fair in Houston, TX this year) It was challenging for me because this is a technique that can only be done with a sewing machine, and this cannot be done without some knowledge of quilts. And it’s a tool that supports our technology. It’s like glue, something that you draw with Sewline’s tools or something that you cut. And that technique can be arranged with the good tools like SEWLINE products (marking, cutting and placing each fabric). Without such great tools, such a master piece cannot be made. It can not be completed and may be finished only half way – – Because this quilt was made with the way of my first experience. Well, it’s not a counterattack of the sewing machine (laughs). You can misunderstand it as a Sashiko sewing machine, or you can misunderstand that it is hand-sewn. But, I also respect those who are using them, and I feel like I was able to express that kind of thing in my own way!

Q. We heard that you were doing donations at the time of the Great Tohoku Earthquake. Did you donate quilts that you made to the people who lost their house and family?

No, basically there was no electricity at first, so I thought I should bring a pedal sewing machine. But, if you go by car, you have to bring your own gasoline. Then, the teachers in Tohoku asked me to send the electric sewing machine to a place where they have electric power-like a public center. (I did so.) At that time the Tohoku people would like to do something to ease their feelings and heal their wounded hearts with sewing. I was so struck, when I asked what they want next, (I don’t have a needle) – then I’ll send a hand-sewing needle. (I don’t have thread) Then, I’ll send thread, too. From a business that I had a long-standing relationship with – – he gave me a lot of cloth fabric…and I sent it. That’s why the teachers volunteer to work on bags at the site over there. At the Tohoku area, some teachers voluntarily teach the people how to make bags, accessory cases, etc. I asked many manufacturers to send all those materials to TOHOKU at that time.

So you would learn from a teacher there and make it yourself?

That’s right! You can take what you make there to the disaster area. Yes, those bags and pouches were delivered to the severely damaged area.

– Is it that those who suffered from the earthquake can calm their feelings through such creative activities? Did that help everyone?

Yes, Of course, people were not so active to make something at that time. But, one of the teachers who were also a victim, but not severely damaged, stood up and said to the people, “Let’s make something”. Then, gradually the people wanted to participate and make something. Of course, there is a way to buy something for them. But, it would be different for them to receive the “handmade” goods and make something for other people in return. Therefore, I just left it to the teacher and procured it!

Q. Do you have any big dreams for yourself or something you would like to challenge for yourself in the future?

Now, the new Bernina long arm is coming out in Japan too… of course the price is something… It is becoming more and more popular overseas and it is a very useful machine depending upon the method. I first used a long arm five years ago, when I went to Switzerland, and…To be honest, I wasn’t really interested in that machine at that time. I knew the long arm itself, but at that time it was difficult to use. But after all, Bernina’s technology is amazing – – when I try to use it in this way. I touched the Bernina’s machine; I believe that their innovation and technology is amazing. Actually, it is easy for everyone to align the needle stitches with the Bernina machine. The teachers mentioned that it makes it easy to move a big quilt and not become fatigued at all with free motion. With the increasing ages of quilters, it would be quite useful and I would like to encourage them to touch it and try to use it. It would be quite useful for them to have fun with their work. One machine is kept at the quilt class at the Japan Nihon Vogue quilt school so that anybody can touch it and try to use it. I hope that people recognize such easiness and try to use the sewing machine more. I wish I could go back to the starting point of my life and spread Bernina and continue to do it for a long time!