From Tokyo to Heart Mountain

POWELL - Traveling to Park County from the suburbs of Tokyo for a two-year stint at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center, Haruka Takaku has a list of goals to accomplish. There are work goals and there are personal experiences she would like to take home with her in 2026.

One of her first goals was to drive a "Wyoming" truck. Enter one Ford F-150 4x4 with the largest cab Ford makes and a 6.5-foot bed.

Takaku doesn't drive in Japan. She takes trains and subways to work each day in Shinjuku; one of the most exciting places on the planet. The commute is about an hour each way, typical of life in Japan.

Mark Davis, Powell Tribune

Heart Mountain Interpretive Center Japanese Outreach Initiative Coordinator Haruka Takaku demonstrates a ceremonial bow common during coming of age traditions, complete with a kimono. Takaku is offering special programs at the center to highlight Japanese culture. Her first program was a sake tasting and she hopes to highlight art, food and the thousands of years of culture, both historical and those currently observed in her home country.

Very few employees can afford to live in Tokyo, so they choose a nice suburb with cheaper rent. According to the most recent Mercer's Cost of Living Survey, Tokyo is the fourth most expensive city in the world.

After moving, Takaku bought a well-used subcompact to get her around locally. But she wanted to feel tall in the seat, like a lot of folks in the Cowboy State.

Thankfully, you can't swing a yellow-bellied marmot without hitting a full-size truck in this part of the state. To make this day even more special, Takaku dressed in a kimono, the traditional wear for celebrations in Japan.

The kimono

Takaku had worn her family kimono when she was 3 and 7 years old for a festival known as Shichi-go-san; a traditional rite of passage and festival day for 3- and 7-year-old girls, but she admits she has less experience in a kimono compared to other Japanese girls.

"I ended up not wearing kimonos for my coming-of-age ceremony and university graduation - which most girls do," she said.

Like many traditions of previous generations, kimonos are far less popular now than they were with their parents and generations dating back to the Heian period, which lasted from 794 to 1185 A.D. The most recent peak for the tradition was in the mid-1970s, according to the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. Yet, the market is three times less now than just 50 years ago.

"When I saw the picture of nisei (second generation of Japanese American) girls wearing kimonos in our exhibit for the first time I was so moved, and thought about how much those meant to them. Even though they are only allowed to bring two suitcases to the camp, they brought kimonos which took up so much space."

"Many skills and factories have been lost because there is no one to continue. But I feel the number of people who have realized the beauty of kimono is growing little by little," she said. "Some Japanese started learning to wear kimono during their [Covid] quarantine."

Kimonos are expensive because they require extensive handcrafting. There wasn't a family kimono for Takaku to use, so she was given money to rent a special kimono for her graduation ceremony. The celebration is marked by women wearing a furisode kimono, a style distinguishable by its very long and elaborate sleeves.

"At that time, I didn't think wearing a kimono was that important for me. Instead of a kimono, I spent all the money on [a] trip abroad because that seemed more important to me," she said.

As the Japan Outreach Initiative Coordinator at Heart Mountain, Takaku was required to learn to wear a kimono.

Mark Davis, Powell Tribune

Haruka Takaku wears a kimono donated to the Heart Mountain Interpretive Center and an obi (sash) borrowed from the Center's Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin. Takaku said she was inspired by prisoners willing to bring their kimonos to internment camps across the country during World War II.

"I'm still learning," she said, explaining that wearing a kimono "feels like my coming-of-age ceremony."

She wore a kimono donated to Heart Mountain and used the center Executive Director Aura Sunada Newlin's obi, a belt of varying size and shape worn with both traditional Japanese women's clothing and uniforms for Japanese martial arts styles.

"It meant so much to me," she said in an interview after her first time driving a large Ford. "When I saw the picture of nisei (second generation of Japanese American) girls wearing kimonos in our exhibit for the first time I was so moved, and thought about how much those meant to them. Even though they are only allowed to bring two suitcases to the camp, they brought kimonos which took up so much space."

Cody Regional Health

Takaku said when she arrived in a much different environment, she realized the importance of her culture.

"I have visited many countries, so now I understand what my culture means to me," she said.

Christmas is celebrated widely in Japan too and Takaku usually spends her time with family and friends. But generally, Christmas is considered a holiday spent with significant others rather than family," she said.

"Christmas Eve is bigger than the 25th. [We] eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken and [have] Christmas cake [strawberry shortcake]," she said.

The first KFC in Japan opened in Nagoya in 1970.

Christmas lights are also big in Japan, but rather than decorating their homes, most Japanese people go to see them in shopping malls or parks.

"I have been enjoying my first Christmas season in the U.S. with lots of food and sweets," she said.

The inaugural drive

Getting into a tall truck in a kimono is somewhat of a trick. Kimonos are form fitting and so tight around the ankles that its wearer can only take small steps. Takaku reached in the cab and grabbed the steering wheel to pull herself up on the running board. Then with some twisting and scooching, she managed to get in the truck.

Then she spent some time getting to know the six-way buttons for the leather seats. Nervous, she pulled out onto lonely Road 19 near Heart Mountain. Slowing, she guided the truck to the highway, never exceeding 25 miles per hour.

"I like the view from up here. I understand why people like trucks," Takaku said.

But then it was time to pull onto the Powell Highway.

She was timid at first, but then pressed the gas to feel the power of the 5.0 liter "Coyote" engine. Though she never got much over 60 mph, she was impressed with the smooth ride and the luxurious appointments of the higher-tiered model.

By the time she arrived back at the center, she was excited to add another goal to her list of experiences in Wyoming. She'd love to ride in a combine during harvest season, pilot a snowmobile, climb Heart Mountain and ride a horse before she finishes her two years in America.

No matter what comes next, Takaku is ready to roll.