Ms. Hiroko Nakayama started making quilts about 28 years ago and lots of her quilts have been awarded prizes in the famous quilt contests of the world including the Grand Prix at the 10th Quilt Nihon Exhibition, Encouragement award of Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology at the 9th Quilt Nihon exhibition, IQF in Europe etc.
She is president of the Charming Quilters Association, also presides over the "Atelier Pepperment Calico" and teaches some quilters. She lives in Ibaraki Prefecture.
Ms. Kumiko Funaki is involved in Haute Couture and loves to use beautiful fabrics from her youth. After marraige and raising a family she has fallen in love with Patchwork & Quilting. After learning how to Patcwork & Quilt she became an instructor of Japan Handicrafts Instructors` Association. She enjoys making quilts and teaching in her "Pine Tree" class for more than 20 years. She lives in Saitama Prefecture. Kumiko Funaki has won some national and international quilt contests such as 1st entry awards at the American Quilters Society Show and contest in 2003, The Quilts of Japan award at the 9th Quilt Nihon exhibition in 2007, Small Wall Quilts - 1st place in 2009, The Bed Quilts hand quilting 1st place in 2010 at the American Quilters Society Show.
Ms. Izumi Takamori was born in Miyazaki Prefecture but now lives in Tokyo. She started teaching quilt classes and opened a shop "Pin Cushion" in 1989. She is an instructor of Patchwork & Quilting, Machine Quilting, Knitting & Embroidery of Japan Handicraft Instructors Association. She founded the Japan Heritage Quilters` Guild in 1995 with some quilters and a member of Japan Contemporary Quilt Association. She is a very active quilter and has won many national and internation quilt contests - "New Quilt from Old Favorite" Contest Ohio Star in 1996. 2nd place at the Flax Contest in 2002, Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival VI and more. Her quilts have been exhibited in the Tokyo Great Quilt Festival, World Quilt Carnival in Nagoya etc. She is also a member of some charities such as Hanshin Awaji huge earthquake and September 11 quilts etc.
Ms. Noriko Kido
Ms. Noriko Kido started making quilts about 18 years ago by herselft. Because she wanted to learn more about it she took classes at the Japan Handicrafts Instructors Association and then became an instructor of patchwork & quilting and embroidery. She teaches quilting at Vogue Gakuen. She is a member of the Charming Quilters and the Quilts Camarado. She lives in Nagano Prefecture. She is an award winning quilter in many international quilt contests such as the World of Beauty`s Master Award for Traditional Artistry in 2006 at the International Quilt Festival, 1st place at the American Quilters Society Show and Contest in Paducah, Tokyo International Quilt Festival and more.
Ms. Junko Iemoto became involved in making quilts in the dawn of the Japanese Quilts. She became an instuctor of the Japan Handicrafts Instructors Association and started teaching it at her quilt classes and some JHIA`s classes. She presides "Quilts Island" about 22 years. She lives in Hyogo. Her quilts exhibit in many quilt shows such as The Japanese Quilt Artists 123 in 1998, The Quilts Osaka in 1999, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. The Japanese Imagery in One Hundred Quilts in 2004. The Craft Festa in Osaka in 2006 and more.
The five quilters are all the member of Japan Handicraft Instructors’ Association(JHIA). Please see our web site; JHIA URL:
http://www.jhia.org/english/
This Japan Team will be handled by the secretariat of JHIA.
