We recently connected with Eri Yost and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, ERI thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

I am Japanese. My mother and grandmother were both kimono dressing instructors. We own over a hundred kimonos.

When I returned to Japan after a long time, my mother told me that she wanted to get rid of some kimonos. As she got older, she stopped wearing them. In Japan, there is a coming-of-age ceremony at the age of 20, where people wear kimonos. For girls, they wear a special type called furisode. Since I was the only daughter among my siblings, my mother spent over a million yen on a kimono for me. But I only wore it once.

Because of that, my mother didn’t want to give away these kimonos to strangers or sell them cheaply, as they hold sentimental value. However, storing kimonos in Japan is not easy. The humidity is very high, so they must be kept in special chests made of paulownia wood (kiritansu), which are designed exclusively for kimonos and cannot store other clothes.

And I don’t need a hundred kimonos. I only brought one back with me. Later, my mother sent me more kimonos. But just one full set (kimono, undergarments, geta sandals, and obi) cost $200 in shipping.

That made me think—why not transform them into something else? Even if I received many kimonos, they would only sit in a chest, unworn. These fabrics, made of 100% silk and featuring artistic designs, are truly a Japanese treasure.

Up until that point, I had only used a sewing machine for straight stitches, and sewing silk is very difficult. On top of that, I felt immense pressure because I couldn’t afford to make mistakes with such expensive fabric.

I still remember the first time I cut into a kimono. Before putting the scissors to the fabric, I bowed repeatedly, pressed my hands together, and kept saying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” as I cut.

I think the only reason I was able to cut it was that I didn’t fully understand the true value of kimonos. If it were my mother or grandmother, they would never have been able to do it.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I love money. However, my mindset used to be that money equals happiness. I believed that a lot of money could create a lot of happiness. So, I thought that not having money meant unhappiness. I worked very hard, and I was able to earn money. But I was not happy. My family was always on edge. I was fighting with my husband, and I would get angry at my kids quickly because I was so busy making money. I was constantly pressed for time. And making a lot of money also meant a lot of stress. Even though I was trying to create smiles for my family, it ended up with me causing anger and shedding a lot of tears. To relieve stress, I spent money. I spent money on things I didn’t really want. Things I hadn’t even wanted before. I would buy things and then easily throw them away.

And I got really tired. I kept wondering how long this would continue. Then, the pandemic came. Suddenly, we were told not to go outside, and I started organizing my house. That’s when I realized I had so many things I didn’t need. Tears came as I thought about how I had kept working, ignoring my family’s words, all for this junk. I decided to stop working. I didn’t have as much money as before, but I wasn’t unhappy. I started focusing on what I already had. That’s when everything that others considered “junk” became my business. My journey began with making sandals (zori) from old clothes. These became very popular.

But even though I was making them from other people’s “junk,” they were well received. Then, I went back to Japan after a long time, and I focused on my mother’s “unwanted” kimonos. I didn’t have money to take sewing lessons, so I watched YouTube videos constantly. I was able to learn. My English is terrible (laughs), so I wondered how I could sell my products. I didn’t have money for English lessons, so I learned jokes that Americans would like from YouTube. I also studied English to explain my products and the cultural differences between Japan and the U.S., but more importantly, I learned English to connect with my fans. That way, I could also get to know them. Over time, I stopped watching YouTube. Why? Because I realized my customers were English teachers. Just talking with them helped me improve my English skills.It didn’t cost any money to learn.I focused on “things I didn’t need” and started a business with what I already had, focusing on developing my skills and eventually growing my sales.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I truly believe that having good health in both body and mind is the greatest wealth.
It would be amazing if my whole family could share this wealth.
When you are in business, it’s important to have the desire for growth and more, but I don’t want to expand my business at the cost of compromising my health and well-being. So, do I not want to grow my business? The answer is no.

Next, I want to hire people. Right now, little by little, I handle not only my own creations but also works by Japanese artists.
I hope this helps support them as well.
Especially single mothers or those who, for some reason, cannot work outside of the home.
When I was 10 years old, my father passed away in an accident, and from then on, my mother raised three children on her own. She worked very hard. I could never say to my mom that I wanted to play more or talk more with her.
So, I want to create a job where people can work from home, not working from dawn to dusk, but just for one or two hours. This is what I am working towards now.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Through my work, I have the opportunity to make others fall in love with Japan, and at the same time, it allows me to fall more in love with my own country. Honestly, don’t we all sometimes get tired of our own country? I’ve lived with kimono being a part of my life, so I never really noticed the beauty of kimono. I didn’t feel moved by the greatness of my own country every time. And when you’re surrounded by it all the time, it can become mundane. However, through my creations, I am able to learn about Japan from my customers’ perspectives. This excites me greatly. It also brings me joy to not only share my work but to introduce Japan as a whole, and with that, I feel a deep sense of pride.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Slipper_Slippers