For our Family Saturday in August, the Seattle Japanese Garden will welcome Gregory Kono from the Drachen Foundation for a fun-hands on kite-making workshop.

Photo: Gregory Kono

Kono has been making paper and bamboo kites since 2001. He began teaching kite-making workshops for the Drachen Foundation after participating in a Japanese kite-building workshop taught by master kite builders Nobuhiko Yoshizumi and Scott Skinner in 2002. In 2007, Kono received a Drachen Foundation Grant to study traditional Edo Kite Making with master kite maker Mikio Toki in Chiba, Japan. His artwork continues to evolve with an emphasis on bamboo and paper. Kono teaches kite-making workshops both locally and internationally to youths and adults.

Kono will be showing our visitors how to make mini koi and yakko kites on Saturday, August 5, 11am – 1pm. Join us while the supplies last!

The Drachen Foundation, located in Seattle, WA, collects and maintains kite information worldwide and shares their skills and archive with the community through workshops and other events. For more information, please visit their website at http://www.drachen.org/.