JUNGLE CITY Interview

◆Interview with Seattle Japanese information site "Jungle City" I was interviewed by Seattle-area Japanese information site Jungle City the other day, and the article has now been published. Please take a look at it below.
・Article : "Kogin embroidery artist Toratani Satomi brings Aomori's traditional crafts to Seattle"

Jungle City is a Japanese information site that appears at the top of the search results when you type "Seattle" into a search engine, and I have been using it as a place to gather information since I decided to move to Seattle. If you're planning a trip to Seattle, be sure to check this out! It's great to be able to get such a wealth of information in your own language.

◆After the interview, I moved to the US at the end of September 2023, exhibited at my first event (Japan Fair) at the end of June 2024, and it's now January 2026, so my Koginzashi activities in Seattle have just begun. Perhaps because I still live with a slight sense of tension, every day passes by so quickly, and even if there is something I want to try, I sometimes don't have the courage to take the first step, but after talking with me today, I was encouraged to try a little harder!
Also, when I was a university student, I was casually invited by an exchange student from the Czech Republic to "Come to the Czech Republic," and so I decided to study abroad in the Czech Republic. I realized that this decision would have a major impact on my life more than 20 years from now, so I decided to accept the invitation that was so cordial to me without worrying too much. Perhaps I can see a bright future in my mind's eye?
I have had more opportunities to "share" Kogin embroidery in America, and my own attitude towards Kogin embroidery has changed a little. At events in Japan, people who know Kogin embroidery would often talk to me and we would enjoy chatting, but here, people who don't know Kogin embroidery talk to me because they want to know more about it. The people I met here have fostered a desire to learn more about Kogin embroidery and share it more. It was with this same desire that I visited the Yumemiru Kogin Museum last summer. My current Kogin embroidery posture is with my arms outstretched, but my head tilted slightly forward. I would like to learn more about, share, and enjoy Kogin embroidery even more. I look forward to your continued support.

◆Related articles
・Click here for the article published in the To-o Nippo newspaper in July 2022.
・Click here for the article about the interview with Koginbank in October 2022.

◆Sales destinations in Japan
・koginbank Online shop here
Contents: Goldfish Nebuta Kit

・coccia Online shop here
Contents: Goldfish Nebuta Kit

・Tuesday Online shop here
Contents: Multiple kits (tapestry, goldfish nebuta, standing dolls, helmets, etc.), hair ties available at the store

・Minne online shop is here
Contents: Kit PDF design

Satonobou