Why this, here
Furumachi was a merchant street before it was a photograph.
You are dressed properly, you walk a street that has been a working merchant quarter for generations, and someone who photographs people for a living makes the pictures.
Furumachi lies just across the Shinano River from Niigata Station — close enough to reach in a morning, and still an ordinary working street rather than a set piece.
The two hours
Four stages, in order.
-
01
Choosing and dressing
You choose from kimono I own and maintain myself. Then I dress you by hand, layer by layer, with the collar and obi set properly. Dressing well is the difference between wearing a kimono and wearing a costume.
About 45 minutes -
02
The walk
A short, unhurried route through the old quarter — covered arcade streets, the wooden rooms of Enkikan, a preserved merchant residence registered as a national cultural property, and Hakusan Park, one of the first public parks laid out in Japan. Short distances, so the kimono stays comfortable.
About 45 minutes -
03
Photographs along the way
I photograph as we walk rather than staging a session — you are looking at a doorway, adjusting a sleeve, laughing at something. I will tell you where the light is good and how to hold the sleeves, and otherwise leave you alone.
Throughout -
04
Undressing, then your images
Back to your own clothes, and I take care of the kimono. Thirty finished, individually edited photographs are delivered as full-resolution downloads after the shoot — yours to print and post, no watermarks.
30 minutes, then delivery by email
(collar / obi close-up)
the arcade street
or park, wide shot
The offer
One price. Nothing added at the end.
Furumachi Kimono Walk
Two people · two hours · English
- Kimono, obi and accessories, chosen with you
- Hand dressing and undressing by the photographer
- A guided walk through the Furumachi quarter
- 30 edited photographs, full resolution, no watermark
- Care and cleaning of the kimono afterwards
Dates are confirmed by email before any payment is taken.
Who you are walking with
Ayumi — ATPHOTO
in kimono, working
I am a working photographer based in Niigata. Most of my year is spent photographing weddings, family milestones and kimono portraits on location — I do not have a studio, because I would rather photograph people where they actually are.
Kimono is not a prop for me. I wear it, and I sew my own. Every summer I run a yukata photography service at the Nagaoka Fireworks — one of Japan's three great fireworks festivals — together with a local kimono rental shop.
This walk is the two things I know best, put together: dressing someone properly, and photographing them once they forget the camera is there.
Practical
Before you book.
- Meeting point
- [ 集合場所を記入 ]
- Start times
- [ 開始時間の選択肢を記入 ]
- Sizes
- [ 対応身長・サイズ範囲を記入 ]
- What to bring
- Comfortable socks. Everything else is provided.
- Weather
- The walk runs in light rain with umbrellas. Heavy rain or snow — we reschedule, or you are refunded in full.
- Season
- Available year-round. Spring and autumn are the most comfortable for walking.
Questions
Asked before.
Do we need to speak Japanese?
No. The experience is run in English from booking to delivery.
Can men join?
Yes. Men's kimono is available, and the pair price covers any two people.
Is two hours enough time to walk in a kimono?
Yes — the route is deliberately short. Kimono restricts your stride, so a two-hour experience with a compact walk is far more comfortable than a long one.
When do we get the photographs?
[ 納品までの日数を記入。例: within 7 days ]
What if we need to cancel?
[ キャンセルポリシーを記入。特商法表記と一致させること ]
Can we book for more than two people?
[ 3名以上の可否と追加料金を記入 ]
Booking
Tell me when you are in Niigata.
Send your dates and I will reply with what is open. Payment is arranged once the date is confirmed.
Request a dateReplies in English.