NAOCO MATSUBARA
Naoco Matsubara had always dreamed of travelling the world, and whilst doing so in her twenties, eventually ended up in Miami, Florida in 1999. This is where she would live for 7 years during her thirties. What she saw there was the swirling world of a capitalist economy; in particular, the popularity of Japanese-style goods with an oriental background which had blended into the Western American culture. However, upon seeing these mass-produced uniform products lined-up in various shops, she began to wonder if people would want to learn more about the traditional Japanese handcrafted works, and other unique Japanese art. After returning to Japan, she used her English language skills to support and interpret for non-Japanese people living in Yamaguchi prefecture, as well as interpreting for various workshops at tourist facilities. During this time, she studied Art Management at Yamaguchi Prefectural University, and in 2012, completed her master’s degree at the Graduate School of International Cultural Studies.
Currently, with the strong desire to spread the “world of art created and crafted by hand”, and “the aesthetics that Japanese people have cherished since ancient times”, since 2020, she is the art coordinator and interpretor to the works of swordsmith Yasha Yukawa, and is in the process to launch the original YASHA YUKAWA brand to the world.
Translated by George Wood
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