Born in 1971 in Nibutani, Biratori Town, Hokkaido. She grew up watching her late father, Kaizawa Fukuji, carve wood, but only began creating her own works around the age of 50. In 2021, she started working at the Nibutani Craft Gallery (Biratori Ainu Culture Information Center), where she was encouraged by Nibutani craft artist Sekine Maki to first learn embroidery. She then attended a one-month course offered by the Nibutani Craft Association and completed a two-year attus (※1) weaving curriculum through the Nibutani attus program of the Foundation for Ainu Culture’s Traditional Crafts Successor Training Project. She also studied in the Nibutani ita courses offered by both the Association and the Foundation, deepening her practical knowledge of Nibutani’s traditional crafts, which she applies to her work as a sales staff member at the Gallery.

Her main works include attus woven garments, ikema protective amulets, and framed pieces featuring embroidered attus tailored into miniature garments. She especially enjoys the time spent weaving attus, and as she is still a beginner, she focuses on diligently following the basics. When making amulets, she is careful to create them only when she is in good health and good spirits, so as not to impart any negative energy.

The Nibutani Craft Gallery showcases works by 20 different artists, and she hopes visitors will take the time to explore every corner. She wishes for the craft traditions of Nibutani to be passed down for generations to come.

A member of the Nibutani Craft Association.

Note:
※1 Attus is a traditional Ainu textile, plain-woven from fibers extracted from the inner bark of trees such as the Japanese elm Ohyo (Ulmus laciniata, also known as lobed elm), as well as the garments made from it. Nibutani Attus, woven using traditional techniques handed down in the Nibutani region of Biratori, is a designated Traditional Craft Product of Japan. Nibutani Attus is a special brand that can only be called as such when created only by specially recognized weavers.