There was always an animal by her side—as a friend.
From the time she was born as the youngest of three siblings until she eventually began living on her own, ookamigocco always shared her family home with animals.
I had assumed there might be a story behind her love for creatures—but the variety and number she listed far exceeded my expectations: dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, even rhinoceros beetles.
“My mother would often bring animals home—she just couldn’t help it. And I think she was really good at taking care of them, too.
Growing up in that kind of environment, I naturally found myself talking to our dog and the other animals.
In a way, I feel like I’ve been supported by them throughout my life. They were always there by my side—as friends,” ookami reflects.
She went on to study at an art-focused vocational school, and I naturally assumed she had majored in textiles or sewing.
But to my surprise, her focus was in fine art.
She once aspired to become an art film creator—shooting scenery on 8mm film and creating collage-like works synchronized with audio.
“After graduation, I worked at a film-related company while continuing to create my own independent films.
I eventually found myself torn between focusing on my job or dedicating myself fully to my own work.
So I decided to submit one of my films to a competition—thinking that if it didn’t get selected, maybe that would be the sign to let it go.
But it ended up being chosen for screening. Riding that momentum, I applied to an international festival, and to my surprise, it was selected to be shown in Germany as well,” ookami recalls.
ookami had always imagined Germany to be a comfortable place to live, with generous support for artists.
But after speaking with local creators she met there, she began to realize that the reality wasn’t quite so simple.
What struck her even more was the fact that the situation in Japan was even tougher. “I started to wonder if maybe it was time to stop making films,” she admitted quietly.
“One of the people I was talking to pointed at the makigurumi I had wrapped around my neck and said, ‘Why don’t you sell that?’
I think they were only half-joking, but for some reason, the comment really stuck with me.
I remember heading home wondering… Would anyone actually want to buy this?
Until then, I had only made things for myself, simply because I enjoyed it.
But after my experience during the earthquake, a new feeling had begun to grow—a hope that maybe, if someone needed it, I could make something for them.”
The Beginning of “ookamigocco”
Not long after that, she received a message from picture book author Machiko Miroko—an old friend—asking for help with a creative project.
And with that, the very first work presented under the name ookamigocco was born.
“For the original art exhibition of The Day the Wolf Flies, which was Miroko’s debut picture book, she asked if I could create a large wolf sculpture to display in the venue.
That project became the turning point—it led more people to discover my work, and gradually I started holding solo exhibitions and placing pieces in stores.
From there, my creative work began to take up more and more space in my life.
Just like my connection with REN, I feel incredibly fortunate. So much of it came down to timing and luck,” ookami reflects.
Interestingly, the unique name “ookamigocco” actually dates back to her student days.
While chatting with friends about what they might name a creative group if they ever worked together in the future, the idea came up.
At the time, she was imagining making an animation about wolves—and that’s how the name was born.
“The dream of creating as a team didn’t come true, but I’d always loved the name, so I decided to use ookamigocco as my personal name for creative work.
To me, ‘ookami’ (wolf) carries a sense of solitude and independence, and over time, the name took on a new meaning— a wish to live joyfully with plush animals, like a kind of make-believe play, even as an adult.”
“Like a cherished charm I carry with me,” she says of the wolf tag illustrated by Machiko Miroko.
No matter how far he wandered, the lion returned to me.
When we visited for the interview, ookami was in the middle of her solo exhibition, “my one, the Lion.”
Each lion—different in weight, shape, color, and material—rested inside a bright yellow house, quietly taking a break on the walls of a picture book store.
At the entrance stood the very first lion she ever made, originally created for her son.
“My son used to cry because he didn’t want to go to kindergarten, and I wanted to make something to comfort him—something like a charm.
I got the idea from a picture book and ended up making a small lion that could fit in his pocket.
He really did carry it everywhere in his pocket, and it went missing more than once. I even posted about it on social media, and there were times when we nearly gave up and cried together.
But somehow, the lion always found its way back to us,” ookami recalls.
The search for the missing lion quickly spread through social media, and before she knew it, people were even asking if they could buy one.
This unexpected turn of events moved ookami deeply, and with a strong desire to respond to those voices, she made the decision to hold the exhibition at short notice.
“It was originally something I made for children, so it made me really happy when adults told me they wanted one too. Going forward, I’d like to slow down my pace a little, but I still hope to keep creating these small pieces, little by little,” says ookami.
Whenever I saw photos of ookami’s work, I always felt a strange, sudden thrill—like encountering a wild animal.
Until now, I wasn’t quite sure why.
But after taking the time to speak with her and see the pieces up close, I think I finally understand.
There’s both strength and sweetness in the animals of ookamigocco—and I hope you’ll take the chance to meet them for yourself.
POP UP SHOP “ookamigocco” at Kuramae & Kagurazaka Stores May 23 – June 15, 2025
We’re excited to announce that the POP UP SHOP will be returning for the first time in nearly two years.
May 23 (Fri) – June 1 (Sun) @ Kuramae Store
June 6 (Fri) – June 15 (Sun) @ Kagurazaka Store
-PROFILE-
ookamigocco
The name ookamigocco comes from the word “ookami” (wolf), symbolizing independence and solitude, and “gokko”, a Japanese word for pretend play often associated with children.
It reflects a desire to hold onto a playful spirit and to live alongside plush animals—even as an adult.
Since 2004, ookami has been creating her signature makigurumi scarves, and in recent years, her creative activities have expanded to include the puppet picture book “Peek-a-Boo”, as well as solo and group exhibitions both in Japan and abroad.
Instagram：https://www.instagram.com/ookamigocco/
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