7 reasons to visit Kimono Photo Studio WA in Tokyo

Would you like to have professional photos taken in authentic Kimono in Tokyo? Please come to our studio! Kimono Photo Studio WA in Tokyo is now in the fourth year, and we have lots of customers from all over the world.

洗練された着物写真、どこかで撮りたいなと思いませんか？それならぜひ当店にお越しくださいね。Kimono Photo Studio 和は今年4年目を迎えました。毎日世界中のお客様で楽しく賑わっています（もちろん日本の方もです！）

But WHY you should visit Kimono Photo Studio WA? Here are 7 reasons!

では、なぜKimono Photo Studio和なのかをお伝えしようと思います！

1. Located in central Tokyo, only 1 minute from Meguro station!

We are located at a very convenient place. 5 minutes from Shibuya, 12 minutes from Shinjuku, 7 minutes from Shinagawa by train. Most of the main cities in Tokyo can be reached within 20 minutes. After you reach JR (Japan Railway) Meguro station, 1 minute walking distance to our studio.
In cherry blossom season, you can go to Meguro riverside, which is the famous cherry blossom place. (We have kimono for outdoor as well.)

当スタジオは都心にあり、渋谷、新宿、品川からもすぐ来れます。そしてJR目黒駅からは徒歩1分！
桜の季節には近くの目黒川の桜を見に行けますよ。お出かけ用着物もありますのでぜひ。

2. Our plans includes everything you need.

Our plans start from JPY6,800+tax per person. It includes silk kimono, simple hair-setting with hair accessories, free cosmetic use though making-up is not included, 1 photo print, free props use such as fans, umbrellas and swords, and Matcha green tea with a Japanese sweets afterward if you have time. For kimono upgrading, professional hair-setting and make-up and additional prints and data, you can choose them from many options. Also you can take kimono photos with your own camera in our changing room, please take the most of our studio!

プランには必要なものはすべて含まれています。一番お手軽な6800円(税別)のプランにも着物、簡単ヘアセット、和小物どれでも使ってOK、プリント1枚が入っています。メイクは入っていませんが当店にある化粧品は自由に使っていただけます。控室でのお客様でのカメラで撮影もOK。しかも撮影の後には抹茶と和菓子も出てくるスーパーおもてなし！もっともっといっぱい撮りたい！データも欲しい、さらに豪華な着物が良い、ヘアメイクもプロが良い！という方はオプションで追加も可能です。

3. Kimono Princess and Samurai Makeover! Please enjoy the highest kimono style, "Uchikake" style.

The style of our kimonos is called "Uchikake", which was the popular style worn by aristocratic women living in castles during the feudal era, and formal Hakama style, for men.  Currently this style is used for wedding. This style can be fit any age and any body's figure and size, and not only for solo woman, but also it is very popular with mothers and couples. Our studio kimonos are all long sleeve and made of genuine silk. We also offer Furisode-style kimono if you would like to.

当店の着物は女性は打掛スタイル、男性は着物に袴がメインです。昔は大奥、今は婚礼に使用されるこのスタイル、体型、年齢は問いません！お一人の方はもちろん、カップルやお母様に特に人気です。(着物はもちろん正絹の袖の長いものです。)　お好みで振袖スタイルも可能です。

4. Staff are all women, super friendly and homelike studio.

Any customers in various cultures can come with no worries. Woman coming by herself, children, babies, women with Hijab, all welcome!

Our studio is small located in a multi-tenant building, but we make the most of it and our customers can relax very much feeling like they are visiting friends in Japan. We take one customer/group in one slot.

Thanks to our customers, we have many 5 star reviews in Facebook and TripAdvisor so far. 

スタッフはすべて女性、アットホームなスタジオです。女性一人でも、お子さんや赤ちゃんがいても、イスラム圏の方でもご心配なく。他のお客様と一緒なることはありません。スタジオはマンションの1室にありますのでお友達に会いに行くような気分でお越しください。今のところ、FacebookやTripAdvisorでは良い口コミを頂いております。

5. Solo, friends, family, couple, group, all okay!

We have many types of kimonos, not only for women, but also for men and children with various plans. If you have any favorite poses, please do it here. If you are shy and do not know how to pose, our funny posing teacher will instruct you, so please just have fun with us.

一人で、友達と、家族で、カップルで、グループですべてOK!
当店は男性や子供用など様々な着物をご用意しておりますので誰でもお越し頂けます。お気に入りのポーズをされたい方はぜひどうぞ、ポーズなんてわからない、恥ずかしいんですという方はスタッフが楽しくおかしく教えて差し上げます。

6. We bring out your natural beauty! Not Geisha style.

We do not put white make-up like Geisha or Oiran style. We focus on our customers' original beauty so that you can show the beautiful photos to anybody, and the photos would be the best commemoration in Japan forever.

当店は芸者、舞子、花魁スタイルではありません。白塗りはせずその人本来の美しさを引き出します。誰に見せても美しい、いつまでも思い出にできる写真をお渡ししたいのです。

7. Data and photo prints are given right away

Are you hurrying to the next destination? Our simple plan can be  finished in one hour, and data in CDR and photo prints are given right away when you leave our studio. We keep our customers’ photo data for 3 months just in case for lost or damaged.

着物写真撮りたいけど時間が無いんですという方。当店のプランは1時間から可能です。データも写真もその場で作成、すぐにお渡し。データは3か月は保管しておきますのでもしCDRを失くしたり壊したりしたら遠慮せず連絡くださいね。

Are you interested? Please email or call us any time if you have question.

We enjoy the photo session every day with our customers all over the world. Next is you! Please touch the Japanese culture with full of smiles (^o^)

いかがでしょうか？ご質問などありましたらいつでも連絡してくださいね。
いつも笑いの絶えないスタジオに次はあなたが来て下さいね！お待ちしています！

KIMONO PHOTO STUDIO 和（wa）
2-24-13, Meguro Nishiguchi Mansion I - 804
Kamiosaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
TEL 070-6455-9831 (English)
東京都品川区上大崎2丁目24-13　目黒西口マンション1号館804
TEL 03-6417-9312 (日本語）
E-mail: info@kimono-wa.com
http://www.kimono-wa.com/en/



Experience Japan!

Colored Leaves in Happoen, Tokyo

Now the season for colored leaves! In Tokyo, they started to change colors, too. Today I visited Happoen, which is very close to our photo studio and a great place to visit in Autumn. 

紅葉の季節ですね！東京の木々も色づいてきました。今日は私たちのスタジオから近い紅葉スポット、八芳園に行ってきました。

This place used to be a Samurai's residence. Later, with the beautiful garden, this place was named as "Happoen" in 1950, and now this is one of the most famous wedding locations and Japanese style restaurants. "Happo" of Happoen means that this place is perfectly beautiful from "all direction" (we says "Shihouhappo" in Japanese).  

ここはもともとあるお侍さんのお屋敷だったところです。その日本庭園を生かして1950年に八芳園と命名され、今は東京でとても有名な結婚式場、料亭となっています。八芳園の名は「四方八方どこから見ても美しい場所」という意味なんですよ。

Happoen is actually a wedding location, however, visitor also can walk in the garden. This Japanese style garden is very beautiful, and the best part of it is that you can see all colored leaves, Bonsai trees, a pond and Koi carps, tea ceremony house and a small shrine at once.

結婚式場ではありますが、一般の人も庭園に入る事が出来ます。この庭園がとてもきれいで紅葉、盆栽、池と鯉、茶室、神社、一度に全部ぎゅっとなっててお得です。

One of the Bonsai tree is over 500 years alive! Many people took care of this tree for a long time, full of histories.

盆栽は樹齢500年を超えるものが！たくさんの人の手で守られてきたのですね。

The Koi carps in this pond are huge and varicolored and gold, there are many.

ここの池の鯉、すごい大きいんです。錦鯉に金の鯉もいて見応えたっぷり。

In this garden, there is a small tea house and you can actually taste Matcha (powered) green tea here. (The price was 860 JPY when I went there). If you make a reservation in advance, you can experience very formal tea ceremony as well.

庭園の中には茶室もあって抹茶を頂く事ができますよ。事前に予約をすれば正式なお手前も頂けるそうです。

So, if you go out for colored leaves in Autumn, let's go in Kimono! From our studio to Happoen is one station away by Metro, or 3 minutes by taxi (730 JPY when I went there).

素敵な日本庭園にはぜひ着物を着て行きましょう！

当スタジオから八芳園まではタクシー３分、または地下鉄で1駅です。

Our Kimono Rental Plan is from JPY5,900+tax~ (ALL inclusive)
For the customers who rented kimono here, we have special offer for studio plans. ( From Nov 24th to Dec 3rd, 2016 )
Please ask for more details!

- Kimono Photo Studio WA -
目黒駅から徒歩1分
Meguro Station, JR Yamanote Line - 1 minute walking distance
TEL：070-6455-9831
mail：info@kimono-wa.com

Experience Japan!

Special Exhibition "The NINJA - who were they?" in Odaiba, Tokyo

A Special Exhibition "The NINJA - who were they?" is currently held at National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Nihon Kagaku Miraikan). I have to go there because I am from Ninja prefecture. 

お台場の日本科学未来館で企画展「The NINJA - 忍者ってナンジャ!?」が開かれています。伊賀忍者の三重県出身の私としては行かねばなりません。

You can actually throw Shrikens (knives) and experience shadow cloning techniques in the waterfall. (You might want to go there with kids, though.)

実際に手裏剣を打ったり、滝に打たれて分身の術を使えたり、「修行」ができます！（子供と一緒じゃないと行きにくいかも）

Even though this exhibition is mainly for kids and their family, there are some places for entertaining adults.

子連れファミリーにピッタリの展示ですが大人が楽しめるところもありました。

Goshikimai - the five colored rice code.

Ninja arranged a code system with colors and combination among team members, and used them to show messages of directions and detection. 

忍者はこの五色米を暗号として使って方角やメッセージを伝えるなどしていたそうですよ。

Invisible ink is the phenomenon in which a liquid (especially citrus fruits) that becomes colorless when it dries is used to write text on the paper, and the invisible text becomes visible when it is roasted. Japanese kids used to do this in childhood at least once.... but I did not know Ninja used this technique!

あぶりだし...日本の子供は必ずやりますよね？まさか忍者の手段だったとはビックリです。

Here are the legends of the NINJA.

忍者伝説

It is said that...

- Ninja could run on the wet paper!

- Ninja could jump from the height of 15m (5th floor of a building).

- Ninja could travel 15.7km per hour and 157km in one day.

- Ninja could jump up over a height of 2.7m from standing position. (So he could get on the top of a big truck.)

I wish they could go to Olympic starting today though they can't because they are spy...

- 忍者は濡れた唐紙の上を走り抜けられた。

- 忍者はビルの5階から飛び降りることができた。

- 忍者は東京から静岡まで1日で走る事が出来た。

- 忍者はトラックの屋根に飛び乗る跳躍力があった。

だそうです。忍だから出られないけど今日から始まるオリンピックに出てほしいです。

You can see the real text book for Ninja and the skills of Ninja from 49 schools are written - "Mansenshukai."

こちらは「万川集海」と言って伊賀・甲賀49流の忍術をまとめたものです。本物が展示してありますよ。

If you are interested in Ninja, please try!

忍者に興味のある人はぜひ行ってみて下さいね。

Period:  July 2(Sat), 2016 - October 10(Mon), 2016

Opening hours:  10 a.m. - 5 p.m. (Entrance closes 30 minutes prior to museum closing time)

Closed:  September 6, 13, 20 ,27/ October 4

Admission fees:  Adults: 1,600 yen, Junior (Elementary school students to 18 years old): 1,000 yen （900 yen on Saturdays), Child (Preschoolers over 3 years old): 500 yen

Information:  http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/en/spexhibition/ninjya/

Location:  National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Nihon Kagaku Miraikan)

Experience Japan!

Traditional Japanese Lighting @ Meguro Gojoen 2016

I visited Meguro Gajoen in Tokyo to see ”和のあかり x 百段階段 2016," in English, Japanese Lighting x 100 step stairway exhibition 2016, this year again because it was really nice in the last year!

今年も行ってきました、目黒雅叙園の「和のあかり x 百段階段 2016」
昨年とっても素敵だったんです。

Meguro Gajoen was first built in 1928 as first-class Japanese style restaurant and became the first banquet and wedding ceremony hall in Japan, and now is a hotel with beautiful Japanese banquet and wedding ceremony halls. 

目黒雅叙園は1928年に創業された高級料亭で日本で最初の結婚式、披露宴会場となったことで知られています。今ももちろん日本的な式場として結婚式を挙げるカップルに人気の場所ですね。

Meguro Gojoen has famous stairway of 100 steps and banquet rooms which were designated as one of cultural assets of Tokyo. In this summer, you can see lighting exhibition there. 

雅叙園には有名な100段階段とそれにつながった宴会場があり東京の文化財として指定されています。和のあかり展はここで行われます。

These are used as lighting floats at Nebuta festival of Aomori prefecture, you can see them again in this year.

昨年から引き続き人気のねぶた。

"Summer Festival," "Art," "Craft persons," "Traditional performing arts," are the theme in this year.
「祭り」「アート」「職人」「伝統芸能」がテーマとなっています。

Japanese monsters in superstitions. With only one eye, without feet... scary! Why are Japanese monsters so creepy?? I think Japan has scariest monsters in the world. Please let me know if you know any other creepy monsters in your country.

日本の妖怪たち…目が一つとか足が無いとか日本のお化けってなんでこんなに怖いんでしょう。多分この不気味さ、世界一でしょ？これより怖い妖怪が他の国にいたら教えてください。




I love this room the best! Lighting from real leaves.

やっぱり私は一番これが好きです！本物の木の葉から作られたあかりです。

Matching with cut paper arts and shadow pictures, wonderful.

切り絵と影絵のマッチングも素敵でした。

Meguro Gajoen
1-8-1, Shimomeguro, Meguro, Tokyo

The exhibition is from Jul 1st to Aug 28th
Sunday~Thursday - 10:00 - 18:00 (Last entrance 17:30)
Fridan and Saturday - 10:00 - 19:00 (Last entrance 18:30)
Admission JPY1,200 for adult, and free for children under 12 years old (elementary school children)
http://www.megurogajoen.co.jp/event/wanoakari/

By the way... you can see some lighting arts at the entrance and on the hallway of 1st floor for free.

ちなみに1階の玄関とその奥でも少し展示が見られますよ（無料！）

Have a nice summer!

素敵な夏をお過ごしください！

Experience Japan!

Japanese Souvenirs from Can Do 100Yen Shop @ Meguro, Tokyo

Tokyu Store Super Market is located on the first floor of our multi-tenant building, and on the 2nd floor, there is a 100 Yen Shop, Can Do. So it is very convenient for us to buy anything.

私たちのスタジオのビルの1階は東急ストア（スーパー）なので便利なのですが、その2階は100円ショップの Can Do があるのでさらに便利で必要なものは大体なんでも揃います。

Can Do now has many  kinds of Japanese souvenirs for foreign travelers, and I found good ones.

最近、海外からのお客さん向けにお土産も増えてきて100円で買えるものをいっぱい見つけました！

Sushi magnets. I am sure that my host mother in my school days in the U.S. would love them because she was putting many magnets on the refrigerator.

まずは寿司マグネット。冷蔵庫にマグネットベタベタ貼ってた私のアメリカのホストマザーには多分どストライクです。

"Tenugui" is hand towels made from cotton, which can be used not only as a towel, but also for decoration, wrapping... They are very pretty with colors and patterns such as Mt. Fuji, gold fish, etc. It is hard to choose.

1年中何にでも使える手ぬぐい。富士山、金魚などなどかわいい絵柄がたくさんあって選ぶのに迷います。

Speaking of summer, Japanese fans and wind bells. I am surprised that these are only 100 yen, too! If you present a fan to your friend, show her/him how to open it because some foreign people do not know how to do it.

夏と言えば扇子と風鈴。これも100円で買えてしまうのだからすごい。扇子は海外の人は開け方を知らない人も多いのでプレゼントするときは教えてあげて下さいね。

For hand made lovers, Washi tape is recommended, maybe? The Japanese word "Washi" is used as English, very nice to know it (^-^)/

ハンドメイド好きの人にはマスキングテープ。英語では和紙テープって言うそうです。日本語がそのまま使われているなんてうれしいー。

And this should be great for mens, right? Ninja stickers... actually I do not know how to and where I use this... but funny, I think? Probably I will buy this for my friend oversea even though I know this is not so useful, LOL!

そしてこれ、男子にもウケそうな忍者ステッカー。正直何に使うか迷いそうですがなんとなく海外の友達に1枚買っておきたくなります。

All of them are only 100 yen each. Please check them out after you enjoyed the photo session at KIMONO PHOTO STUDIO WA!

ぜーんぶ100円です。KIMONO PHOTO STUDIO和の帰りに見てみて下さいね！

Experience Japan!