Junko Sophie Kakizaki

Founder/ CEO

Cultural Curator & & Brand Cultural Strategist

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Based in Kyoto, Junko Sophie Kakizaki is a Cultural Curator dedicated to sharing the beauty and spirit of Japanese culture with the world. Centered on the traditions of the tea ceremony, incense ceremony, Ikebana (Japanese flower arramgement and kimono culture, she curates, directs, and hosts bespoke cultural experiences for international VIPs, luxury brands, hotels, and global media, offering a deeper understanding of the aesthetics and philosophy that underpin Japan's cultural heritage.

 

Over many years, she has built trusted relationships with Japan's leading master artisans, UNESCO World Heritage temples, and cultural properties and tea houses that are ordinarily closed to the public. Through this exceptional network, she creates one-of-a-kind cultural experiences while developing cultural projects that reinterpret the authentic identity of brands, hotels, and destinations through the lens of Japanese culture.

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She serves as the Official Ambassador for Kyoto Hand-Painted Yuzen Kimono and Kyoto Yuzen Saree, and is a certified master of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana. Introduced to the tea ceremony and ikebana by her grandmother from an early age, Junko later studied in Paris after graduating from university. She completed the Civilisation Course at the Sorbonne, earned a diploma in French Floral Design from the École Française de Décoration Florale, and obtained the First-Class National Qualification from the French National Horticultural Society. She also studied international protocol at Belle École, the finishing school formerly housed within the Hôtel de Crillon, before returning to Japan to establish Atelier Junko Sophie.

 

Having travelled to more than sixty countries, Junko draws upon a broad international perspective in her work. She delivers lectures and cultural demonstrations in Japan and abroad, while promoting Japanese culture and traditional craftsmanship through collaborations with international publications, global luxury brands, overseas institutions, and Japanese government–endorsed commemorative projects celebrating diplomatic relations.

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She is the co-author of "TASHINAMI: 9 Mindful Japanese Rituals to Feel Beautiful Inside Out" (GBS LLP).

She also received the Excellence Award in Table Coordination and Culinary Presentation at the Kateigaho Grand Prize, presented by Sekai Bunka Publishing.

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