Kuniko Yamamoto

"Her performances were excellent and powerful. Ms. Yamamoto was at all times the professional artist and educator,
capturing genuine student interest and excitement. She promotes cross-cultural communication and understanding,
needed in educating young people for their future in a global society." 

— Clearwater High School, Clearwater, FL  

Kuniko Yamamoto enchants audiences of every age with dramatic storytelling using myths and fables from ancient and modern Japan, spiced with social revelations to educate and amuse. In Magical Mask, Music and Mime of Japan Kuniko uses traditional Japanese music, handcrafted masks, stylized movement and a touch of magic to create an artistic balance of illusion and reality. For younger children, Origami Tales uses folded paper animals and faces, which come alive in folk tales. Every program encourages audience interaction and participation, with each narrative carefully selected for cultural and moral perspectives. Trained in dance and traditional arts in her native Osaka, Japana, Kuniko has lived in Florida since 1992. 

Kuniko received national exposure performing Japanese Storytelling at the Silk Road International Exposition and on Kansai National TV in 1985. Over the last three decades she has presented her programs throughout the United States. She received the Tempo Award from Origami USA in 2007. As a passionate origami artist and teacher, Kuniko opened Origami Air Art Studio in 2017.

Kuniko has performed  at The Kennedy Center (Washington DC); Disney Epcot Japanese Pavilion; Seattle’s International Children’s Festival/Giant Magnet; International Children’s Festival in Canada; National Storytelling Festival; LA Music Center /Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County and Pittsburgh International Childrens’s Festival.

Kuniko offers a variety of workshops including: Math Lesson with Origami, Origami Cultural Connections and Visual Arts, Origami and Technology, Origami for Teachers along with the Koto Green Tea Ceremony.