Konnichiwa. My name is Akane Mashimo and I am born and raised in Osaka, Japan. I started both taking photos and learning Kimono dressing after I had my first child here in Los Angeles. It’s already been over 10 years. In 2018, I went to Kimono school (Kyoto Kimono Gakuin Kyoto Honko) in Kyoto, Japan to get a certificate as a Kimono dresser. The same year, I got pregnant with my second child and fast forward to today, I am the proud mother of 3 children!  Besides Kimono, I enjoy studying Tea ceremony and Japanese flower arrangement classes at the Sougetsu Ikebana school. I am also a first grade certificate holder in Japanese calligraphy. And my learning continues…    

In October 2022 I started my business under the name of WakaWakka Kimono and Photo Studio. (Waka is my pen name for calligraphy and wakka means loop in Japanese.) 
In my 'free time' I am also a president of the LA Kimono Club with my husband. Our club hosts kimono shows, an annual New Year kimono contest, and cultural workshops and events throughout the year. I am passionate about sharing the kimono lifestyle with others. By respectfully dressing in the beautiful and traditional Japanese kimono fashion anyone can enjoy Japan's traditional and cultural heritage even in Los Angeles.