Yuri Yasuda

Yuri "Yureeka" Yasuda
Native name 安田有里 (やすだ ゆり)
Born Yuri Yasuda
(1983-06-21) 21 June 1983
Nationality Japan
Education Sophia University

Yuri "Yureeka" Yasuda (Japanese: 安田有里; born 21 June 1983) also known as Yureeka is a Japanese businesswoman, art collector, and founder of Wonderlily, The Tea Time Company and Tokyo Art Office. Born in Tokyo and raised in New York City, she graduated from Sophia University with a bachelor's degree in Comparative Cultures and is also a certified tea sommelier of the UK Tea Academy.

Early life and education

Yuri Yasuda was born in Tokyo in 1983. Her great-grandfather, Hizume Masaharu was a doctor as well as a poet who has published a collection of tanka, a thirty-one syllabled verse. Her grandfather, Nobuaki Hizume was the head bureaucrat of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, as well as the former Director-General of Small and Medium Enterprises, former vice-president of Daimaru Department Store. (He was also appointed as the Chairman of Kansai Association of Corporate Executives for 2 terms during the Showa period.) Her father runs a business related to art in New York City, United States. Her mother is a former poet with several books published, her eldest sister is a professor at a university in the United States and her other sister is a researcher. She grew up in the United States from the age 3 to 13, and attended an International school in Tokyo.[1]

Career

Wonderlily Co., Ltd.
Founded November 16, 2007 (2007-11-16)
Founder Yuri Yasuda
Headquarters Tokyo, Japan
Website http://www.wonderlily.jp/
http://harney.jp/
www.tokyoartoffice.com

Wonderlily was founded in 2007 by Yureeka, where she began her first deal as the exclusive Japanese license owner of a tea brand, Harney & Sons.[2] Since the foundation, she has successfully built over 350 accounts across Japan, launching customized pet bottles limited to Japan, collaborating with various luxury brands such as Lexus, Louis Vuitton, Sony and have supported over 100 events including the American Embassy, Christian Dior, TED x, and more.[3]
All of the products she works with are brands she discovered overseas and felt confident would be popular in Japan, holding an exclusive contract. She discovered Harney & Sons during her trip to New York where she came across the taste in a hotel suite, which eventually led her into the business she has today.[4] She also works with other luxury food & beverage brands such as Vosges Chocolate, Ross Kopi coffee known to be the world’s most rare and exclusive coffee and Coconut Magic, Australia’s organic raw energy bar brand.

She founded The Tea Time Company in 2015,[5] and opened the first direct retail store of Harney & Sons Japan in JR Nagoya Takashimaya.[6] Yuko Nagayama, a highly respected architect who also designed the Louis Vuitton boutique in Kyoto worked on the interior design.[7]

In 2015, Yureeka became the brand ambassador for Pont des Arts wine, a unique collection of wine & spirit, bringing together the best from each of the two worlds of Art and Wine.[8] Pont des Arts also participated as the VIP sponsor for Art Fair Tokyo in both 2016 and 2017. Pont des Arts have also hosted collaboration events in Tokyo with Aston Martin and Christian Dior.

Driven by her passion and travels for the arts, she founded Tokyo Art Office (TAO) in 2017,[9] which have been working with Art Fair Tokyo and The Fine Art Group, the largest art fund in the world. From a young age, she has been surrounded by art, visiting museums, galleries, auction houses, artist studio which naturally guided her into starting a business in the world of art.[10] Even today, Yureeka actively flies anywhere around the world from Nanjing to Schloss Mauensee to discover and appreciate artworks.[11]

She spoke at Net-a-Porter's “Incredible Women” panel in Hong Kong during Art Basel 2018, and is a regular contributor to luxury lifestyle magazine Billionaire, online arts platform Larry’s List, and Forbes Japan.

Yureeka is also in charge of Liaison for Soho House Japan (opening in 2019), and Japan Ambassador for Asia Now Art Fair.


The "SAYURI" collection launched in AW 2017 which presents a collection of authentic Japanese craftsmanship, curated in contemporary Tokyo style of discerning international tastes.[12] Based on her decade-long experience and success in the international luxury food & beverage industry, Yureeka saw an opportunity to bring these unique products together into a collection connoting luxury and high quality for those who seek "the best of the best."

Dating back to her student years, Yureeka has been featured in various magazines on her high fashion sense and luxurious lifestyle.[13] She has also been highlighted by numerous media for her animated character and unique background.[14]

In 2013, she began writing regular columns on art for Commons & Sense magazine. She continues to contribute essays and interviews on artists and art collectors on various platforms such as Billionaire[15] and Larry’s List,[16] extending her knowledge in the contemporary art.

Media Appearances

TV Shows

References

  1. ↑ "A graduate interview - Yuri Yasuda". Sophia Times. 8 April 2017. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  2. ↑ Betros, Chris (3 March 2014). "A taste of success". Japan Today. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  3. ↑ Betros, Chris (13 June 2016). "Anytime is tea time for Harney & Sons master blender". Japan Today. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  4. ↑ "NYから東京へ Yureeka, Harney & Sonsとの運命の出会い". Harney.jp. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  5. ↑ "Company Profile". The Tea Time Company. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  6. ↑ "ニューヨーク生まれのティーブランド". JR Takashimaya. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  7. ↑ Kawecki, Joanna. "Yuko Nagayama: Architecture for the Human Experience". Indesign Live. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  8. ↑ "Pont des Arts- Building Bridges with Wine and Art". Japan Today. 16 November 2015. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  9. ↑ "About TAO". Tokyo Art Office. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  10. ↑ Phua Gajardo, Talenia (16 March 2017). "COLLECTOR YURI YUREEKA YASUDA TALKS ABOUT THE ART SCENE IN JAPAN". Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  11. ↑ "Visiting Mr. Uli Sigg". 15 December 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
  12. ↑ "SAYURI". SAYURI. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
  13. ↑ Wetherille, Kelly (17 July 2016). "Yuri Yureeka Yasuda of Wonderlily". Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  14. ↑ Oishi, Tomoko (2014). "GQ Intelligence 2014". Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  15. ↑ "Contributors". Billionaire. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  16. ↑ Yasuda, Yureeka (12 April 2017). "How to Build an Art Lovers Utopia: The Story of Hideaki Fukutake". Larry's List. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
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