Alison and Shuji Yamazaki first met in Canberra when he was a student. She went teaching in Japan in 1990, met up again with Shuji and six weeks later had moved to Tokyo to be with him.
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They've been together for 26 years, married for 20 and have a 16-year-old daughter Miho. The couple also has a thriving business , Wabi-Sabi Designs in which they import modern and vintage textiles from Japan.
They established the business in the national capital in 1995 when they moved back to Australia.
"We wanted to share the beauty of genuine Japanese crafts and textiles with people here and to encourage them to have a go themselves," Alison said.
Wabi-Sabi Designs is one of the exhibitors at the Craft and Quilt Fair at Exhibition Park in Canberra from Thursday to Sunday from 10am to 4.30pm.
Their stall is at F6 and every day will be taking bookings on indigo dying classes and origami folding.
Shuji shops in Japan three times a year bringing back a huge range of Japanese cottons.
"We love to share our deep knowledge of the methods behind beautiful dyed or embroidered silk kimono, as well as traditional folk textiles," Alison said.
The name of the business generally means "the beauty of imperfection".
"It's very much about the handmade and revealing the maker's hand," she said.
