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!

Tsumami Kanzashi Flower workshop @ Kimono Photo Studio WA

I offered a Tsumami Kanzashi Flower workshop at Kimono Photo Studio WA in Meguro, Tokyo. "Tsumami Kanzashi Flower" is Japanese traditional hand craft, mainly used by kimono girls for their hair accessories, and most of the studio's hair accessories are hand made in this way. (Yes, I made them!)

目黒の着物フォトスタジオ和でつまみ細工ワークショップをしました。このつまみ細工というのは日本の伝統工芸で着物を着た際の髪飾りとしてよく使われます。スタジオの髪飾りもこのつまみ細工がたくさんあります。（はい、私の手作りです！）

Materials and tools... This craft does not need needles,  it is very good point that you can make Tsumami Kanzashi Flower only with glue.
材料と道具はこんな感じです。針は使いません。のりで全部できちゃうところがこのつまみ細工のポイントです。

Making the petals one by one with tweezers, need concentration!
花びらを一つ一つピンセットで作成していきます。細かい作業です。

This participant was a sewing professional, so she tried to make intermediate one. Very nice work!
今回参加してくれた方はプロの衣装さんだったので難しい作品に挑戦しました。とっても素敵にできました！

I offer this workshop with your request. It includes all the materials and English text. You can make your own Kanzashi-flower with 1~2 hours. This work-shop needs reservation one week advance, and have various samples according to the prices and difficulty, so please ask us for more details if you are interested.
ワークショップはリクエストベースでお受けしています。材料と英語か日本語のテキスト込みで時間は作るものによりますが1～2時間くらいです。ご興味ありましたらお問い合わせください。

Email: info@kimono-wa.com

Experience Japan!

Kimono with cherry blossoms along Meguro river

Cherry blossoms were in full bloom and really beautiful along Meguro river in this week. It is only 5 minute walk from our studio to Meguro river. We went there for outside photography for our customers in this time.

今週、目黒川の桜は満開を迎えとってもキレイでした。スタジオから目黒川まで徒歩５分。今回は撮影のため、お客様と花見に行ってきました。




First, we stopped by Daienji-temple, and prayed our customers' good luck to deities of travelers...(We can guide the temple and show you traditional way to pray there.)

まずは大円寺に寄って道祖神にお祈りして... (お寺のガイドもしますよ！）

 

Then, we went through Meguro Gajoen, which is the oldest wedding and banquet hall in Japan...

日本国内最初の総合結婚式場である目黒雅叙園を通り過ぎ...

Finally we got to Meguro river! How beautiful the cherry blossoms were!

目黒川に着きました！満開の桜、素敵でした！

They are such a nice couple from Russia. The weather was so nice, the best day for flower viewing. I am sure that they always well-behaved :) The kimono she chose was really good on her and she is so pretty!

ロシアから来てくれたとっても素敵なご夫婦。天気もよくて花見には最高の日でした。きっと日頃の行いが良すぎるんでしょうー。彼女が選んだ着物もお似合いで写真もこんなに可愛く撮れました。


At KIMONO PHOTO STUDIO WA, we can also offer outside photography in kimono with your request. Please inquire anytime. We are looking forward to seeing you here!

着物フォトスタジオ和ではリクエストに応じて着物でお出かけの撮影もしています。ぜひお問い合わせくださいね。ご来店お待ちしております。

Experience Japan!

Try our gorgeous Kimono from Luxury Selection!

The best part of Kimono Photo Studio WA is that you can enjoy Uchikake style kimono. 
What is Uchikake style?? - it was the popular style worn by aristocratic women living in castles during the feudal era. Currently this style is wore by a bride at her wedding only. Even Japanese women admire this style because we cannot wear them maybe once in our lifetime!

着物フォトスタジオ和の醍醐味は何と言っても打掛が着られるってことです。
打掛って何？？打掛とは昔大奥等、上流階級の女性達に着られていた着物スタイルで今では花嫁衣装として結婚式で見る事ができます。なので日本人でさえ一生に一度巡り会えるかどうかの貴重な着物なんです。

So, I would like to show you one from our Luxury Selection. This is very gorgeous with glittering color, but still elegant. There are many cranes on kimono, and these are all embroidery so that the kimono is very heavy. The back side of this kimono is red color.

と言う訳で当スタジオのラグジュアリーセレクションを一つ紹介します。鶴の柄で総刺繍。キラキラですが色が落ち着いているのでとってもエレガントです。内側は赤色です。豪華すぎてものすごく重いんです。

The cranes are very auspicious animals in Japan. Not only they look beautiful, but also they are symbol of long life, and they live together for their life once they get married. 

着物の鶴は美しいルックスはもちろん、長寿の鳥として、また、一度結婚したら一生添い遂げる生き物のシンボルとして日本ではとてもおめでたい柄なんです。


















With this Kimono, you can enjoy the true generousness of kimono, and this matches all generations!

本当に豪華な着物が体験できますし、どの世代の方にも似合いますよ！

Please check our customers' beautiful pictures!

お客様の写真です。素敵ですね〜♥️

Please experience authentic kimono at our studio!

ぜひあなたも当スタジオで本物の着物を体験してみてくださいね！

Experience Japan!

Which Kimono is recommended at Kimono Photo Studio WA?

Kimono Photo Studio WA has many luxury kimonos to choose for our customers. We are often asked which one is good, so I would like to show you one of the kimonos from Basic Selection. This is my favorite one, favorite color, yellow. Our kimonos are all made of silk and hand selected by kimono professional even Basic Selection.

着物フォトスタジオ和にはたくさんの素敵な着物が用意されています。お客さんにどれが良いと思う？とよく聞かれるので私のお気に入りを紹介してみようと思います。今回の着物はベーシックセレクションですがベーシックと言っても素材はすべて絹で和裁職人さんが選んだものなんですよ。

The brilliant yellow color makes you very gorgeous and vivid. This kimono design has many happy patterns such as Japanese fans, flowers of peony, iris, Japanese bellflowers and chrysanthemum. Each figure has auspicious meaning, especially peony is the symbol of a beautiful woman in high-class, and has meaning of happiness. 

華やかな黄色でとっても明るくなります。着物には扇、牡丹、あやめ、桔梗、菊など縁起のいい柄が描かれています。柄にはそれぞれ意味があるのですが特に牡丹は美しく高貴な女性の象徴で幸福を意味するんですよ。

Here are the customers wearing this kimono, how pretty!

この着物を着てくださったお客様です。とってもステキ！

Please find your favorite only one kimono at our studio!

皆さんもお気に入りの一枚を当スタジオで見つけて下さいね！

Experience Japan!

March 3rd is Girls' Day, "Hina-Matsuri"

March 3rd is Hina-Matsuri, which is the Doll's Festival or Girls' Day in Japan. Japanese families who have girls display Hina dolls to wish and celebrate growth and happiness of the girls. (But we have to go to school and work... I think it should be holiday...)
日本では３月３日はひな祭り。女の子の健やかな成長をお祝いする日です。（ですがこの日は祝日ではありません、学校も仕事もアリです。）

At Meguro Gajoen, which is close to our studio, Hina-dolls exhibition is currently held. There are about 1,000 dolls from north-east Japan, I think it is pray for recovery from the Great East Japan Earthquake. I saw hina-dolls once washed away by Tsunami, which was impressive. 
スタジオ近くの目黒雅叙園で雛人形展「百段雛まつり」をやっていたので見に行ってきました。今年は復興の祈りも込めて岩手、宮城、福島の東北３県から約1,000体の雛人形が展示されていました。津波から生還した雛人形もあって感慨深いものでした。



Since photography was prohibited there, I took this photo at the entrance of Meguro Gojoen, not exhibit room. This is typical Hina-dolls. Emperor and Empress in beautiful kimono are displayed on the top of the shelf, people in ancient court were displayed under them. 
ちなみに写真は禁止なのでこれは雅叙園のエントランスに飾ってあるものです。真ん中にあるのは典型的な雛人形。一番上はお内裏様とお雛様、その下に宮廷の人たちが飾られています。



This is Empress.

横にあるのは吊るし雛。昔、裕福ではない家庭では雛人形は高価だったので家族や親戚で小さな人形を作って飾ったのが始まりだそうです。一つ一つの人形に子供の幸せを願う意味があるんですよ。
The dolls on the side is hanging Hina-dolls. These were used to be made by non-rich family or relatives, who could not afford expensive Hina-dolls with shelves long time ago, and they had started to make the dolls by themselves. Each doll has meaning for wish of their girls' happiness. 

For example, the rabbit is a peaceful animal but their red eyes can ward off the evil spirits. Ground cherry has efficacy of medicine and can be good-luck charm. 
例えばうさぎは平和を好む動物で赤い目は魔除けだそうです。ほおずきは薬効成分があり、お守りだったとの事。

By the way, it is said that you have to put away all the dolls after March 3rd, otherwise your girl will be late to be married.
ちなみに３月３日を過ぎたらすぐに片付けないとお嫁に行き遅れるという言い伝えがあります。





After Girls' Day, we are ready to welcome spring, we cannot wait to see cherry blossoms!
この日を過ぎると日本は一気に春に向かいますね。桜が待ち遠しい！


「百段雛まつり」は目黒雅叙園で３月６日まで開催しています。
Hina-dolls exhibition is held at Meguro Gajoen until March 6th, 2016.
10:00 ~ 18:00, admission JPY1,500JPY per adult.


    http://www.megurogajoen.co.jp/event/hinamaturi/

Experience Japan!

Beautiful Japanese Lighting @ Meguro Gojoen

I went to Meguro Gajoen to see ”和のあかり x 百段階段展" in English, Japanese Lighting x 100 step stairway exhibition, and it was really worthwhile! Meguro Gajoen was first built as first-class Japanese style restaurant and became first banquet and wedding ceremony hall in Japan, and now is a hotel with beautiful Japanese banquet and wedding ceremony halls.

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. 

These are used as lighting floats at Nebuta festival of Aomori prefecture. They are very powerful

 Wind-bells.

Moon light room.

Ginkgo leaves. These lights are made from real leaves.

Paper lanterns

Paper lanterns of gold fish shape.

It is very good to go there in kimono because the architecture is very Japanese. 

Now we present this exhibition ticket if you rent outdoor kimono or yukata at Kimono Photo Sutdio WA, and we will take you Meguro Gajoen, which is 5 minutes away from our studio. The exhibition is till Aug 9th, 2015. Please indicate it when you make reservation. We are looking forward to seeing you!

Meguro Gajoen
1-8-1, Shimomeguro, Meguro, Tokyo
TEL:03-3491-4111
The exhibition is from Jul 3rd to Aug 9th
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)

https://www.megurogajoen.co.jp/english/hyakudankaidan.html/ 

Experience Japan!