Yoichi Oda, 81, from Japan, presented the handcrafted Turkish rugs he has been collecting for 30 years to the visitors in an exhibition held in Tokyo Yunus Emre Institute.

Yoichi Oda said that he first visited Turkey in 1981 and he started the hobby of collecting Turkish rugs in early 1990’s. He said that he chose his favorite works, which are painted with the root dye technique that makes the rugs more beautiful as they age. Saying that he owns around 300 rugs, Oda said that the most expensive rug is about $15,000.

A visitor, Mamiko Ikuta, said that she saw handcrafted Turkish rugs up close for the first time and said, “It is very interesting because it is unique in Japan. The motifs and colors are wonderful.”