KIMONO REBORN project team,who we are ?
“KIMONO REBORN” is a social business project of K.M.Tomyam Co.Ltd., a video production company in Thailand which was founded in 2005 by Yasuhiko Okuno, a Japanese documentary photographer and a video producer.
We have produced several travel programs about Japan for Thai TV, and, more recently, for NHK World, an English-language channel of Japan’s National broadcasting organization. We feature documentary with some aspect of sustainability. We have also initiated “TENKAWA”, a Thai high school students’ photo contest since 2014, one of our CSR activity in collaboration with Higashikawa Town in Hokkaido, Japan.
“KIMONO REBORN” project is directed by Mieko Saho, a partner of Yasuhiko. All video, photography and digital content are managed by our team. However, the project could not happen without the support of Save Elephant Foundation, Elephant Nature Park and our friends in both Japan and Thailand.
Mieko Saho, a director of KIMONO REBORN project
Mieko studied French literature in university in TOKYO. Studying in France opened her eyes to cross-cultural issues. After working for a fashion magazine in the early of 1980’s, she moved to a media contents production company where she has learned interviewing, writing and editing skills.
As an independent reporter, she has covered social, cultural and human stories in South Africa for several Japanese magazines and newspapers with Yasuhiko, her business partner and husband. In 1994 she published her first book which documented the life of a white South African woman who married a black man under the apartheid regime.
in 2004, while raising her two children, she published another book which depicted the life story of a Japanese woman who founded a children’s
house for HIV affected infants in Thailand. Mieko and her husband have supported them through their media and volunteer work. The field research trips for the book connected her and her family to Chiang Mai. In 2004, they moved to Chiang Mai to begin a new chapter in their life journey. Her husband set up K.M.Tomyam, a video production company, and Mieko has been supporting their work. She is a nature and animal lover and very interested in the circular economy. The KIMONO REBORN project concepts are originated from her work experiences and life journey overseas.