I love Okinawa.
I love drawing.
It was "love".
It all started from here.
Soon I started living in Okinawa
And got a chance to know Bingata.

Ocean, trees, plants and flowers in Okinawa。
Birds and animals, light and wind
that color my everyday life.
I keep dying my favorite things
that are always in the middle of myself.
Today, and for always from now on.
Straight to the things I love, I keep dying my pleasure,
riding the wind with fragrance of tomorrow.
Sunny days, rainy days
To rejoice your life together
To comfort and courage you, time after time
To color yourself
And getting close to your everyday life
Bingata will always be there to make your heart dance.

Nijigame Shouten

Nijigame Shouten

Nijigame Shouten is located in Chinen, Nanjo-shi
southeast of the main island of Okinawa.
It’s an old house with brick roof, built by self-build,
surrounded by nature.
The store name Nijigame Shouten means “Rainbow Turtle Shop”.
The shop is attached with a workshop
and many original design products
by Bingata artist Nijigame Asuka are lined up inside.
You can spend a relaxed time on the veranda
with a pleasant breeze,
overlooking the beautiful ocean.

The Bingata patterns drawn by Nijigame Shouten
are Okinawan life itself.
Colorful flowers, huge Gajumaru trees
with birds and insects living inside,
and whale, sea turtle, tropical fish.
Dying the inspiration encountered in daily life
with vivid colors shining in the Okinawan sunshine.

I have a wish for many people to see
and feel close to the traditional crafts, Bingata.
Bingata Goods Nijigame Shouten is producing everyday use goods
for your precious treasure wholeheartedly.

Artist profile

Born in Hokkaido, raised in Tokyo.
Left home when I was 19, and moved to Okinawa.
I fell in love with Okinawa at the first time I visited there with my friend
when I was a high school student. And that was the main reason I moved to Okinawa.
Especially, blue ocean, subtropical wind, abundant nature, and the kindness of
the people I met became my treasure.
At this time I decided to move to Okinawa after graduating from high school.
As I’ve loved drawing pictures and making things since I was little,
I explored my way and enrolled in Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts.
And there I became to know Bingata, the traditional crafts of Okinawa.

The staining Bingata was invented in Okinawa in 15th century.
There are several processes such as carving the stencil, putting the glue,
and dying colors one by one.
Each working process is difficult, but also interesting.
It takes a long period of time, sometimes several months, to produce one artwork.
My heart leaped to know each vivid colors are made from natural pigments.
And it became my dream to depict my world with Bingata.
While I was a University student, I made some little artworks and sell them on the street.
And during tourist seasons, I set up a stall in the hotel to sell my goods.
And in 2008, 7 years after graduation from university,
I opened a little shop with an attached workshop Bingata Zakka Nijigame Shouten.
My 4 children who were crawling in the workshop are all grown up now,
and they help me with my production.

My love for Okinawa and Bingata still hasn’t faded and it just keeps getting stronger.
I wish to express the world that only I can draw with gratitude to Okinawa and Bingata
which introduced me to the exciting days.
My learning days are just getting started.
What I want to know and what I want to make, keeps coming out everyday.
I’m really looking forward to meet you all in my continuing story.

Bingata artist Nijigame Asuka 2024

Artist profile

Born in Hokkaido, raised in Tokyo.
Left home when I was 19, and moved to Okinawa.
I fell in love with Okinawa at the first time I visited there with my friend
when I was a high school student. And that was the main reason I moved to Okinawa.
Especially, blue ocean, subtropical wind, abundant nature, and the kindness of
the people I met became my treasure.
At this time I decided to move to Okinawa after graduating from high school.
As I’ve loved drawing pictures and making things since I was little,
I explored my way and enrolled in Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts.
And there I became to know Bingata, the traditional crafts of Okinawa.

The staining Bingata was invented in Okinawa in 15th century.
There are several processes such as carving the stencil, putting the glue,
and dying colors one by one.
Each working process is difficult, but also interesting.
It takes a long period of time, sometimes several months, to produce one artwork.
My heart leaped to know each vivid colors are made from natural pigments.
And it became my dream to depict my world with Bingata.
While I was a University student, I made some little artworks and sell them on the street.
And during tourist seasons, I set up a stall in the hotel to sell my goods.
And in 2008, 7 years after graduation from university,
I opened a little shop with an attached workshop Bingata Zakka Nijigame Shouten.
My 4 children who were crawling in the workshop are all grown up now,
and they help me with my production.

My love for Okinawa and Bingata still hasn’t faded and it just keeps getting stronger.
I wish to express the world that only I can draw with gratitude to Okinawa and Bingata
which introduced me to the exciting days.
My learning days are just getting started.
What I want to know and what I want to make, keeps coming out everyday.
I’m really looking forward to meet you all in my continuing story.

Bingata artist Nijigame Asuka 2024

Play with pattern and color

These are some of the craft products made by Nijigame Shouten.

Access

◎ Route 86
Cross the Niraikanai Bridge and turn right at the Yoshitomi traffic light on Route 331. Nijikame Shoten is located on the right side about 20 meters ahead.

◎ Route 331
Go straight through Azama Sun Sun Beach and Chinen Cape, go straight at the first traffic light Yoshitomi after Chinen Elementary School, and it is on the right side about 20 meters ahead.

901-1512
335-1 Yoshitomi Sausihara, Chinen, Nanjo City, Okinawa, Japan
Tel : 090-8293-1138
Mail : nijigameshouten@gmail.com
Business hours : 11:00 – 17:00
(Closed on Thursdays)