I want to keep traditional Japanese kimono culture alive by passing it down !

-Yuka Seyama (D.C.)

We interviewed Yuka Seyama who is running a kimono dressing class in Washington DC.

1 Please tell us how you came to US.

In January 2018, I came to Washington DC with my husband because he started a new job.

For my first 6 months here, I had really tough time because of my English ability.

When I first moved here, I was very busy dealing with home repairs.

While my husband was away at work, I often had to deal with those things in English by myself, every time I spoke in English I was disappointed in myself because I couldn't communicate well.

Additionally, it was really hard because I couldn't make acquaintances at that time.

2 After going through a tough time, you are now running a kimono dressing class.

What path did you take to get here?

Influenced by my husband, who works in international development and works to improve society, I always wondered what kind of contribution I could make to society.

When I was looking for something I could participate in, even though I was not good at English, I came across volunteers for a Japanese food education program run by a non-profit organization called Table For Two.

I started as a volunteer, and then worked my way up to an assistant position.

I was able to enjoy participating in the activities without feeling embarrassed about my English ability, probably because my work involved children.

At that time, I had the opportunity to teach my husband's coworker and several of their friends how to wear a kimono.

At that time, some of the participants said to me, "There are many people who want to learn how to wear themselves, so why don't you start a business?" That is how I started my classes.

3 Did you study kimono dressing in Japan before coming to the US?

Yes. Since my mother and aunt were kimono tailors, kimonos have been very familiar to me since I was a child.

Since I was raised in such an environment, my desire to learn kimono dressing grew over time, so I started attending kimono dressing school when I was working in Japan.

Initially, I did not want to become a professional kimono dresser, but I knew that if I was going to study, I wanted to do it well. Therefore, I chose the course that offered the widest range of subjects, and that happened to be the training course for a professional kimono dresser.

The school was affiliated with wedding halls, hotels, beauty salons, etc., and sent its graduates who were certified as a professional kimono dresser to these places.

After I got a professional kimono dresser certificate, I worked for a general company during the week and worked as a professional kimono dresser on the weekends.

4 What do you enjoy about kimono dressing?

Conversely, are there any difficulties?

I enjoy providing the opportunity to people who want to wear kimonos, cherish traditional Japanese events, and learn to wear kimonos by themselves. Though my customers they live in the US, they can connect with their Japanese heritage with the little help I offer.

I can't think of many difficulties, but if I had to pick one, I would say that when I first started the business I was at a loss as to how to handle all the work by myself.

In Japan, I often worked in pairs.

However, I was able to get used to working alone relatively quickly.

This was thanks to the experience I had already gained as a professional kimono dresser in Japan.

The more experience I gain, the more flexible I become in dealing with any situation, and it is at such times that I realize how much I have grown.

5 Do you have a dream or future goals?

I think what I can do will change depending on where my husband is transferred to, but wherever he goes, I would like to continue my activities related to kimono.

In addition to kimono dressing classes for local Japanese, I would like to create a system that allows non-Japanese who are interested in Japanese culture to try kimono with ease.

I also hope to contribute to Japanese culture by passing down the tradition of wearing kimono.

6 Do you have a message for Japanese women who are feeling frustrated because they haven't found what they want to do in the US?

Whether you are planning to live in the US permanently or temporarily, I am sure you are all in various situations. However, I don't think you need to be in a hurry at all to do something when you see people working and acting energetically in the US.

I recommend acting independently, without feeling pressure to follow the actions of others.

When I first came to the US, my husband's business associates and others around me would ask, "What do you do for a living, Yuka?" I was often asked this question, and each time I felt impatient and pressured by myself for not working and not doing anything.

There were times when I felt depressed and frustrated, saying, "I'm a useless person for not doing anything."

That cloudiness gradually cleared through volunteer work and kimono dressing classes, but if I could speak to myself at that time, I would tell myself, "Work is not everything, and though I'm not working, I am studying English hard."

"I am enjoying American culture." I want to tell myself that it is okay to be confident and honest about what I am enjoying at that moment.

Just find something you enjoy and go for it.

I now view every opportunity as a learning experience, so I should not feel self-conscious about it.

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