The 97-Year-Old Designer Bringing Haute Couture to the Osaka Expo

With less than six months until the opening of the Osaka-Kansai Expo in April 2025, staff at the Pasona Group pavilion — a leading staffing services company — will be welcoming dignitaries in style. Their elegant evening gowns, designed by 97-year-old Kobe-based designer Harumi Fujimoto, will showcase her mastery of haute couture.

For years, Fujimoto has been blending traditional Japanese techniques, such as Nishijin weaving and Yuzen dyeing, into her designs. Through these intricate pieces, she hopes to share the charm of Japan with the world at the Expo.

A Creative Sanctuary

On the fifth floor of her Kobe apartment, Fujimoto's workspace is filled with designs featuring flowers, pines, and silver grass. These gowns, fashioned from kimono and obi fabrics, are intended for Pasona's pavilion.

Gently touching a fabric, she remarks, "This one, I've named Tempyo no Iraka." The vibrant design combines gold and red on a black background, with swallowtail butterflies fluttering among the leaves. "I wanted a name that matched its strength, so I looked through the dictionary for inspiration."

Among her other gowns are designs named Kikugasane (a "layered chrysanthemum" motif inspired by the five-color robe of the Heian period), Jakko ("serene light"), and Kaen ("splendid celebration"). Her choices reflect her love for literature, which continues to shape her work.

Weaving Tradition and Modernity

Born in 1927, Fujimoto radiates energy, with a sharp mind and clear, lively speech that defy her years. She responds to questions instantly, often with a touch of humor.

"I don't have any special health secrets. I can't drink, so I don't go out much in the evenings," she says.

Her father, a sailor, introduced her to imported furniture and tableware from a young age. After World War II, she studied dressmaking in Tokyo, and by 1954, she had opened a thriving dressmaking shop in Kobe.

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A turning point came with Fujimoto's first trip to Europe in the early 1960s. There, she observed how much drier the climate was compared to Japan. She also realized that Western clothing had evolved over the centuries to suit Europeans and their body types. 

At the time, Japanese people had begun adopting Western styles. But the visit made her question, "Should we go back to wearing kimonos?" This realization inspired her to design dresses using kimono and obi fabrics.

In 1968, she began hosting fashion shows, starting in Kobe and gradually expanding throughout Japan and overseas. Her long-held dream to showcase her work in Paris finally came true when she was 70. Over the years, she has developed a loyal following, including prominent fans like author Seiko Tanabe.

Fujimoto says she has known Pasona CEO Yasuyuki Nambu "for decades." She recalls, "When I traveled to Florence, Italy, he even took me to visit the Ferragamo family home." This longstanding connection led to her participation in the upcoming Expo.

Memories of Expo'70

Fujimoto has fond memories of the 1970 Osaka Expo. "I remember seeing a beautiful young woman emerge from the pavilion, which I believe was from a Southern country," she recalls. "The woman was wearing what looked like traditional clothing — a striking blue and white ensemble with an unusual headpiece. It felt incredibly fresh and inspiring."

Looking ahead to the 2025 Expo, she shares her excitement: "Around 150 countries will participate. They'll travel all the way to Japan, bringing their very best."

In a letter to her niece and nephew, she wrote, "You can't travel to 150 countries. You absolutely must go to the Expo [as this is a rare chance to see them all in one place]!"

She hopes the Expo will also bring a fresh buzz to the Kansai region. "If we don't put in the effort now, then when will we?"

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Fukuzawa shares how a woman who attended one of her Tokyo shows said to her, "It [the show] was amazing. The elegance of Kansai, where the former capital was [for over a thousand years] truly stands apart from the Kanto region."

Nishijin weaving and Kyoyuzen dyeing represent the finest of Kansai culture. Fujimoto's pieces at the Expo are sure to inspire renewed pride in both Kansai and Japan.

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(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: Nobuhiko Yamaguchi, The Sankei Shimbun