Kimono no Kokoro: Heartful Kimono

JETAA Japan Benefit Party

2011-04-13T15:43:00.001-04:00

On April 1st, JETAA had a Japan Benefit Party at the Hard Rock Cafe on Dundas & Yonge, and Sunil and I went to help by attending. Plus, he was playing taiko, so we kinda had to be there. It was his first time playing taiko in public since Japan and he was rather excited.

The event had world music acts, which was very cool. Live performances included Arashido Taiko drummers, the world music of Nhapitapi, indie rock from Olaroks and Cousin Rufu, Kenji Body Paint Black-Light Dancers, and more.

I wore a kimono, naturally. I was the only one, too, but that's okay. It was the same outfit I wore to the Hallowe'en Repo: The Genetic Opera showing: black cotton kimono with komon pattern, red tsuke-obi with velveteen motifs, yellow obiage, red obijime, white embroidered collar, black boots, black haori.

Sunil went to the bathroom or something and I was standing near a column when suddenly was I attacked and nearly molested by a small, somewhat intoxicated (I think) Japanese lady. She straightened my collar, touched something or other on my obi, and finished before she even said anything. Granted, my collar had likely shifted from being in the car, so I didn't mind the fixing - it was the sudden attack aspect of it. When she finished, we chatted a little. She collects and has 20-30 kimono and knows how to wear them, but doesn't because she can't dance in them (she did a few steps, she does ballroom style). Someone did take our picture, and during it, she hugged my arm and rested her head on my upper arm. It was kind of weird, but very cute. I wish I had a copy of the pic.

When she went off with her drink, we wandered the event and looked at the goods up for silent auction. There was a cool selection of items that had been donated, including a signed Peter Mansbridge tie. I decided to bid on salsa lessons (5 lessons for a couple) since Sunny and I had fun learning dancing before our wedding and wanted to do it again. Turns out I won it, yay. All told, the fundraiser benefit raised $12K for the Red Cross' Japan Tsunami fund. You can read more about it here, on the JETAA website (more pics there, too).

Wearing the kimono was a great conversation starter. I had quite a few people say something, or come up and want to talk a bit with me because of it, which was neat. I even met a few Japanese girls who are interested in kimono and who are here in the GTA on a year long work visa. I've still got to email them about the club, but I did give them the URL. That reminded me I need to get some cards printed up.

The musical groups were quite good; I really appreciated the variety. What was very cool was that during the other other acts, people milled out wherever, but when taiko was up, everyone - EVERYONE - came and sat and stood and watched. I imagine it made the taiko group feel awesome. Everyone likes taiko and it's probably nostalgic for many of them. I tried to get some good pics, but I was too close and people got washed out. Unfortunately, Sunny only played one song (the awesome jumping one, though) and was in the back, and from my angle, I couldn't get any pics of him. :(

I was happy to see people I worked with there, as well as meet an ex-coworker's musically talented husband.
Photos are thumbnails; click to make larger.

General:

Taiko:

Kimono Academies, Daily Kimono, and Style

2011-04-06T19:55:00.004-04:00

There was an interesting thread started on the ImmortalGeisha forums regarding kimono schools and the effect they have, if anything, on kimono wearing in Japan. (Note: a "kimono school" is one that teaches kitsuke, or the art of kimono wearing; for the sake of this thread, it encompasses licenced instructors who teach for a specific school.)

The idea put forth was that kimono schools, especially the one most kimono enthusiasts know of (Sodo Kimono, Yamanaka Norio's academy - he's the author of The Book of Kimono), are too strict and may actually discourage people from learning to wear kimono. They push the rules and indicate that everything has to be "just so" or you shouldn't go out in public. The impression of schools is that they are rigid and don't provide much flexibility or style development, especially when compared to how kimono was worn as a part of daily life pre-WWII.

The thread has lots of interesting comments and discussion. I knew I wanted to reply, as I'm one of the few members of IG who has attended classes (licenced Sodo instructor, but not at a "school"), but it was difficult. I knew I wanted to say something in the thread, but I didn't want to leave it too long and eventually not post.

You'll find summarized ideas from the other commenters in the thread, as well as my own reply after the "read more".

Summarized Ideas from other Comments
In general, it seems that schools give an impression that there's only one "perfect" way to dress and that they do not have allowances for style or fashion, let alone different physical shape. There's the idea, held by both Japanese and non-Japanese, that kimono is hard to put on. (IMHO, it's lack of familiarity with the garment that makes it seem hard.)

Some people likened a kimono school to "What Not To Wear", indicating that there are rules for Western wear as well if one is hoping to dress for their body and particular style. It was also brought up that fashion changes, so while they may have worn kimono more loosely, that might not be the style now, or the style for the specific outing (like how someone might wear jeans and a tee for groceries, but a nice skirt and blouse for a fancier event). Westernization also influenced kimono style.

The idea that rules are so important may be because most women wear kimono only a few times of their life, and on those events they need to look a certain way; in other words, not many are wearing kimono as a daily wear, a living garment. There may also be an issue with not wanting to stand out ("the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" proverb).

The other woman who has had lessons in Japan and shared about them said that she had a great experience and that the goal of her classes had been to meet others with similar interests and to learn how to wear kimono in a friendly atmosphere. The rules were there and told, but it was up to each individual to learn about them and remember them if they felt it important.

Several have expressed that a school may seem strict, but that they, and perhaps the Japanese, would be more comfortable learning with a set of rules and guidelines, and then once they've understood, add some personality. After all, there are lessons for all sorts of things, and rules for all aspects of the Japanese life (sports, traditional arts, communication [formal/humble], etc), and the "rules" may not be what's keeping them from learning kimono.

A few who have lived in Japan have expressed that it may not be the rules but rather the expense in both time and money. New kimono items can be very costly (and there can be issues about buying secondhand). It could be that there are young women interested in learning kitsuke, but don't have the time for lessons or the money to afford it.

My "Essay" Post Reply
As one of the few members who have had lessons, I felt that I had to contribute to this discussion. However, it took some time to figure out what to say and how I wanted to say it, and I don’t know if I’ve even said it the way I wanted, but I felt I had to post before I took too long and didn’t post at all.

I think the decline in kimono wearing was related to WWII. Kimono were seen as an extravagance, and there was pressure to Westernize at a quick rate. I can see how easily the kimono was pushed out at that time. It was just easier to wear Western clothes (which were already being worn by some in Japan, especially the men). Women continued to enter the workforce, and working in a kimono is not practical for many jobs. Yes, it could possibly be done, but it’s not that convenient. In addition, I bet most families didn’t have the money to purchase many kimono after the war. Wanting to seem advanced, more western… I can understand how a kimono may be seen as a ‘patriotic’ thing, if it was worn mostly before the war, and thus avoided (like wearing the flag in Germany was, at least when I was there in the 90s).

Except for certain professions, I would assume most had no need of kimono and thus those who had been wearing it, and able to wear it, didn’t pass on their knowledge to their children. It was an increasingly modernized world. I think wearing kimono had already been relegated to the special events by most of the population when the kimono schools came about, and they’re filling a need. The young generation has no family members to teach them how to wear kimono, so they go somewhere to do it.

I think what might be holding people back now isn’t necessarily the strictness of the rules, but other aspects, such as reluctance to buy used kimono and the cost of new kimono (expensive!!!), the cost of taking lessons for several months, the accessories, etc. It’s a lot to learn, and can seem daunting, and even then, unless they’re interested, where will they wear the outfits? If they’re in small towns, especially up north, there really aren’t that many people wearing kimono, so knowing that they’d stand out might turn them off. In general, the Japanese like to fit in. Plus, it seems so complicated for those that aren’t familiar with it or had practice with it. Compared to Western clothes, yes, it can seem really complicated; it’s certainly not as easy as slipping on a blouse and dress pants, or a dress. Plus, there’s often the factor of getting used to how it feels. If you only wear it occasionally, it’ll be uncomfortable. But the more you wear it, generally, the more comfortable you become, and thus, the more likely you are to wear it more often. (Aside: I wonder how often this is, if there’s a magical number of times…)

I think the “rules” thing is a Western hang-up. In Japan (in my experience), there are rules for *so many things*, whether spoken, written, or unwritten, especially for the arts. I was told that in Kyuudo (which I did not pursue), I’d have to practice the basic forms for a year before I could shoot an arrow. There are lots of rules, I’m sure, in tea ceremony. I know there are some in ikebana. So having rules for kimono wouldn’t really surprise anyone, I think, especially now that it’s more of an art known by so few, and that kimono is only worn by most of the population at a few at select ceremonies (which are invariably somewhat formal, and thus, bound by their own rules).

There unfortunately isn’t much info about other kimono schools aside from Sodo and Yamanaka Norio, thanks to his book, so of course, I think our impression of schools/lessons is biased based on limited information. We have to recall that his book came out in the late 70s/early 80s (I think it’s a translation of many of the texts /papers for lessons), and as it’s now the 2010s, it’s outdated by what, 20 to 30 years? A lot has changed since then.

As for myself, I took lessons from a licenced Sodo Kimono instructor. As most members are aware, that’s Yamanaka Norio’s school. I wouldn’t trade my lessons for anything, and I’m kind of… defensive, I guess, about them. I spent the first year or so learning about dressing myself, various bows, and practicing furisode kitsuke (for a taikai [competition]), and then in the second year I learned more about dressing others and what works best on different body types. Sensei could be strict, in a way, but I’m glad she was. She really drilled those basics home, and now it’s second nature when I dress.

In general, aside from the actual practicing of kitsuke, lessons were a lovely social time with women of different ages; a time for learning in a supportive atmosphere, for sharing stories and asking questions. I did spend a long time learning the basics – but through lessons I learned there’s far more to “the basics” than what a book can show. It’s learning about dressing for your body and different body types, such as what kind of padding works, who needs it, where it should go, how to make it, as well as how to size the obi appropriately for different people to have the right balance, and more. Learning to dress for various body types is something that comes with time and practice, and it’s definitely something taught by my sensei (and I imagine by others in other schools as well). They want you to look good!

I personally feel that the purpose of the school/lessons is to really drill you the basics, teach you the rules, and then teach you different knots or whatever. Once you learn the basics, like, REALLY learn them, then you can learn about incorporating stylistic changes. If you already know the basic rules and have a style, then you’d be using the lessons to learn about different knots, or how to dress others, and for networking and social time. A good teacher will attempt to teach you things you don’t know, push your conceptions/impressions/whatever that word is, and help you develop yourself as a person in kimono.

Yes, Sodo seems strict – and Yamanaka-san might be, in specific circumstances. I don’t know him personally, so I can’t say. But my own sensei, who, again, is Sodo certified, has said the book is “Yamanaka’s kimono world”, and each wearer, once they’re at a certain skill level and knows the basics, is to create their own “kimono world”. To find joy and a personal style with kimono – and deep down, I think that’s the goal most teachers have. They’re strict when they have to be – when you’re learning, or preparing something really formal, say – but not all the time.

Kitsuke sensei will have their own style too, despite being a sensei. They’re people, after all. Style isn’t something you can teach in a book. It’s not a practical lesson. Developing someone’s “kimono world” isn’t something that can be book taught, or even necessarily taught in general – one doesn’t learn a style, it’s developed and comes from within, I think. For example, if I copied Naomi’s Taisho chic style exactly, it wouldn’t be mine and it’d remind everyone of Naomi. I wouldn’t be able to pull it off quite the same way, as it’s not really my “kimono world/heart”.

There are general rules, but it’s good to know when and how you can break them. If you put your look together carefully, it’ll be obvious it’s stylistic choice and not a mistake. That’s what school/lessons can teach you (indirectly, of course).

Naomi asked for a pros/cons kind of list… I don’t think I can make one. A lot depends on your teacher. Some people have had great experiences, and others just didn’t mesh with their teacher on a more personal level, and thus didn’t get as much out of lessons.

I'm sure I could have rambled on a lot more about it, but felt I should stop there.

If you have anything to share on the topic or want to add something to the discussion, please do! Same with if you have questions or anything.

So, to further the discussion, I have similar questions for you (you can answer whether or not you read the under-cuts):
♣ What is your impression of wearing kimono?
♣ Of kimono schools?
♣ What about how kimono has changed through the years?

Or anything else related to kimono that you want, naturally!

Finding Local Japanese Culture Events

2011-03-10T10:31:00.002-05:00

Someone on the IG forums mentioned the Consul-General's page, and I gathered the links for the forums, so I figured I'd share them here since I did the work. I used the local page when I was in Chicago for events for the newsletter there, and I use the Toronto one here to find things to attend.

Consulate-General of Japan Events Calendar Links

CANADA

Calgary

Montreal

Ottawa: Upcoming Cultural Events
Ottawa: Japanese Culture Events

Toronto

Vancouver

USA

Atlanta

Boston

Chicago (covers Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin)

Denver

Detroit

Honolulu

Houston

Los Angeles: Local Cultural Calendar
Los Angeles: Local Event Links

Miami

Nashville
New York

Portland

San Francisco

Seattle

Washington, DC
DC Metro Area Events

(Back to being sick. Ugh.)

Tea for...fifteen?

2010-11-26T21:24:00.003-05:00

I meant to post about this sooner, but completely forgot in all the job-search thesis hubbub.

A little while ago, I was on a big tea kick and was perusing craigslist and kijiji for a teapot to match the art-decoish creamer and sugar we received as one of our wedding presents, when I came upon a sale for about 15 teacups for $30. My hubby said I could buy them, so I went ahead and arranged to pick them up. It's a varied collection, leftovers from someone else's, but I don't mind. I don't think I'll need to keep all of them, and I definitely have my own personal favorites.

It was kind of a learning experience for me, as I never knew there were so many different cup shapes. I don't know how else to describe them, and an admittedly-quick google-search didn't bring me anything that would describe the shapes, so all I can say is that there are some that are 'classic' teacup shape, some broader, some smoother, an octagonal one, one with rounded bits at the bottom...and the saucers are all different, too. The cups are from different manufacturers, and some have little gold numbers on the back which I assume were applied by the collector to mark them. I believe almost all of them are bone china.

Some of the manufacturers represented in this collection include:
Adderly
Consort
Duchess
Delphine
Ridgway Potteries
Royal Albert
Royal Winston

A few samples (thumbnails, so click to see larger):

Which one is your favorite? You can find the entire gallery here. It was my first time taking pics like that, and I'm quite pleased with the results. I tried to give decent descriptions in each info bit on photobucket, such as manufacturer and a description of the motif. If you know more, have more info, or know of any resources, please let me know! I found a few when looking for information, but those with more experience can probably point me in the right direction. I'm not interested in appraising them, really, just finding out more about them in general. I have much to learn about this new 'hobby'/collection of mine.

~A page with info on the makers marks and backstamps~

I still haven't found an inexpensive enough teapot to go with our creamer & sugar set, but I'll know it when I see it!

Hallowe'en Weekend Kimono Coordinate

2010-11-04T11:29:00.000-04:00

I am procrastinating on job apps (my mind just can't take doing them for several hours a day any more), and so I thought I'd share my latest kimono outfit with you all. I didn't get pics of me in it, as it was dark and late.

I wore it to a showing of Repo: The Genetic Opera at the Bloor Cinema. It had a shadow cast, which I'd never seen before, and was fairly interactive if one wanted it to be. It was my first Repo experience, and while unusual, not bad. I did get a Coffee Crisp and a Kit Kat (minis) out of the deal, as it was Hallowe'en weekend. :D

As was all dressed up Nagoya-girl style in pink and floofy bows and lace, so I figured I'd wear kimono, too. Not as a costume, but as fashion, but people out that weekend wouldn't know the difference. I honestly did feel more comfortable in it that weekend as I didn't feel as "odd", as people could pass it off as Hallowe'en wear and not "what a weird girl".

Anyway!

I laid out several outfits, and then asked which one to wear, and he chose this one. I totally agreed; I liked it. It was more of a real outfit than something a little crazier for Hallowe'en.

I wore a hitoe wool komon that has a black base with a kikkou (tortoise-shell) pattern, and in the pattern is flowers and little ochre dots. I paired that with a homemade easy collar that used a white-on-white embroidery, a tsuke obi in red with velvety details, a yellow sash (from Nebuta, haha) that I used as an obiage and a red obijime that matched the red of the obi. For warmth, wore it with a basic black haori that has a few white shibori spots on it (to pick up on the white in the kimono). Paired this with my adorable Victorian-ish boots and a black hat and my Hallowe'en purse (silver-grey with a sparkly bat).

At the show, a member of the shadow cast approached us and complimented us on our outfits. XD She was in a white kimono, wrapped right over left as she was dead (and informed us of such, so she obviously has kitsuke knowledge; her whole outfit was fairly well worn). She expressed interest in finding out more about the fledgling Toronto Kimono Club, so it was a bit of a motivator for us to get moving on that and figure out a first event.

We got a few compliments from others on the street ('nice dresses', 'cute costumes', etc); one lady (50+) stopped and complimented me - not on my outfit, like I thought she would - but on my purse. XD

So without further ado, here are images of the outfit. Any questions, please ask!

Gifts from Chicagoland

2010-09-14T11:26:00.004-04:00

This post is also long in coming, as technically, I received these items before I received the items from Youko-san. Since I'm sitting around the house trying to be productive and catch up on stuff (I have a list of things to do), I figured I'd cross this one off. Whoo!

So, basically, the backstory in a few sentences: I met at a JETAA event, and we kind of hit it off. We mostly met only at JETAA events until I had more time during the day and could meet her at her place of work for lunch. We'd talk about our time in Japan, Chicagoland, jobs, JETAA, kimono, etc. She encouraged me to take out some books from the JIC library, which was fun.

Anyway, before I left the city, she mentioned that she had some kimono stuff she'd never use again and offered it to me. I said I'd gladly take it, and here's the lovely haul:

2 obi

kimono and juban

2 obijime

accessories for fashion and wearing

kanzashi (she now has very short hair and thus they are kind of useless for her)

parasol

All pics are from photobucket and clickable thumbnails.

Let's start with the obi! I received my first tsuke-obi from my friend, starofpersia. I have yet to wear it, but I think it'll match a kimono I have on hand. It's got black flocked velvet design in what I think is clouds or water (anyone confirm or deny?).

The other obi is also red-based (I think she also has a thing for red :). Just today when taking pictures of the items I found that it is a maru obi. I had thought perhaps a dance obi as the design is silver, but now knowing it's maru that makes more sense. The design is also flowing and looks like waves. Since it's not a summer obi, I figure it can be worn anytime, though on either side of summer is probably best. I think it'll match my honfurisode (bridal furisode) very well [it's green].

The kimono is an iromuji in one of the most common colors - pink! I would have said it was my first one, but I had one already in a different color, so it's my second one. The rinzu pattern is bamboo and grass, I think.

The juban is a basic white juban; I needed more, so this is great. It's got a detail pattern of chrysanthemum (kiku) woven in. Needs a little work cleaning the collar, but I'll likely cover it with a han-eri anyway, so I'm not overly concerned about it. I just can't remember if it's polyester or silk; I'll have to take a closer look later. Likely silk, just older, as starofpersia said she often shopped at the markets in Kyoto.

I also received some accessores for wearing kimono: a kohrin belt, a 'magic' datejime (one that's rubbery and does up with velcro), 4 himo (2 pink and 2 white), and a makura. Naturally, just about all the accessories are pink. XD The makura is my second one, yay! It looks big enough to use for furisode musubi, so that's nice and handy. I also received some tabi, as she's not going to wear kimono any longer, only yukata.

Fashion accessories were also received. Whooo! I received a cloth for wrapping things or wiping hands (like a small furoshiki) that is blue-based and printed with sakura petals; a matching blue fan with characters on it, a mirror backed with pink chirimen, and a little envelope thing for carrying flat things (I forgot the name for it, haha oops) that tucks into your collar or obi. It's also chirimen with little plum flower (ume) details.

Since starofpersia has very short hair now she doesn't have need of hair ornaments, so she passed them on to me as I have long hair. There's a few things on pins like bobbypins: a little fishy and some glass bobbles. There's also cute pink cherries and a sparkly snowflake. The fanciest is a sakura with some pearls on a hairstick.

One of my favorite things from the gifts from starofpersia is this lovely beige parasol. :) It's small and cute, and super-duper adorable. The lace pattern is so neat and feels delicate, and it does provide enough shade when out and about (I had to test it). I've wanted a kimono parasol for a while and now I have one! Though I'd also like another one that's a bit bigger, and maybe in black, for matching more Western wear. XD

ほんとうに、ありがとうございます、starofpersiaさん!

Kimono Cafe Day in the GTA

2010-09-07T21:46:00.000-04:00

Kisa-chan and I decided since we had a holiday here (Labour Day) we'd dress in kimono and go to a somewhat local cafe (Caffe Demetre), and these are the results:

Kisa is wearing a poly kimono with dots and lines in pretty blues, purples, and pinks with a pink Nagoya obi, pale pink/yellow obijime, and yellow obiage. It was a dreary day, so she wanted to lighten it up and make it a little more cheery.

I'm wanted a 'cute' look, and I wore my poly hakama (dreary day meant I wanted to wear covered shoes) with a hitoe stripe kimono (not sure if it's silk), a green hanhaba with flowers, and my flowered haneri. Hairstyle is my new default side-bun with twists. Kisa-chan decided the outfit had a Meiji-ish look as it was stripes with hakama and books, and I agreed. Unfortunately, even with some safety pinning, my juban sleeves were too long. Oh well, I'll fix it for next time.

It was fun to wear kimono again; it had been a long time for both of us.

We nommed on cheesecake and iced cream and had a ton of coffee while plotting future endeavors. :lol:

Not looking for critiques, just sharing!

OMAKE (the wind caught my hakama and it was something I found hilarious):

1964 World's Fair Sakura Odori Program

2010-08-31T12:16:00.001-04:00

I'd seen this on eBay forever, and when it dropped in price, decided to go for it. I had assumed there were geisha dancing, but it seems it's a dance troupe and not geisha. Still, the images are interesting, and the drawings of the costumes are quite pretty.

I tried to find more information about the dancing troupe online, but couldn't find much. There's a bit of history information about the fair itself - seems it wasn't sanctioned by the official group and thus no major countries were present (there was a fair coming up in Montreal in a few years).

This comment, “Watch a Japanese troupe dance to exciting new rhythms combining traditional music and jazz." came from the 1965 National Geographic.

This page has a small blurb about the Japanese pavilion, which looks like the wall of a moat that surrounds a castle.

This site also has a little bit of info about the pavilion, along with a picture of the annex and a pic of the dancers (looks like awa odori).

Critical Past's website has a few videos of the exhibition and the Japanese pavilion:
video 1 and video 2.

Other links and videos about the 1964 World's Fair in general.

I've uploaded all the images to photobucket, in their own gallery. I scanned them in; the booklet was just the size of my scanner, thank goodness. I was worried it would be a bit too big. The program has drawn images of some of the costumes, pictures in black and white and color, the names of all the dancers, an intro from the organizer, and information about each of the dances they performed and who performed them.

The 1964 World's Fair Sakura Odori Program gallery.

Here's a preview (clickable thumbnails):

Gifts from Youko-san

2010-08-29T14:01:00.003-04:00

When we went to pic up Chicago stuff in July, my then-fiance and I stopped by Joliet to visit a kimono-friend, Youko, I made while in the city to have dinner and peruse her kimono collection. Dinner was a yummy all-you-can-eat sushi with Sapporo and Asahi beer (mmm, it was good, and started me on a Japanese beer kick). However, we were surprised you couldn't just order sashimi, and they were surprised we were used to being able to do so. So, we invited them up to Toronto to visit and we'll take them for sushi to return the treat, and for poutine (her husband has wanted poutine forever, but whenever he visits for business, they always take him for steak).
Anyway, after dinner, we looked through her kimono collection. She's addicted to YJA, and is from Nagoya, so she shops in Osu whenever she's home. She had some wonderful pieces that I seriously coveted! I'd have taken pics if it weren't so dark (it was late by the time dinner was finished). We had a good time chatting about kimono, styles, and fashion. I always get "fudangi" and "kasuaru" (casual) kimonos confused, but she said to think of it like "fudangi" is "around the house wear", like sweatpants, and the casual kimono are like capris or nice jeans. It was a fun analogy. XD One of my favorite pieces of Youko's was a black haori that had lobsters and cute goldfish and totally reminded me of Moonblossom.

She also possessed her grandmother's (or first grandmother in law's?) wedding kimono and juban; beautiful black furisode from the Taisho period and exquisite red and white shibori juban. She obviously doesn't wear them, but she was the only one in the family interested in kimono, so she inherited it. She also has a beautiful summer weave mirror-image crested purple tomesode with white flowers on it; simply stunning and in wonderful condition for it's age. I tried to convince her not to have it made into a dress; I hope I succeeded!

As we were going through her collection, she confessed she hadn't worn all the pieces, and likely wouldn't wear all of them, so she gave some to me! I was surprised and totally elated. She quite literally created my summer kimono wardrobe (now I need a kimono to wear with them). lol

I received two obi, both natsumono, a long haori (which is in style, yay retro!), and some fabric scraps as we both sew. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with them yet, but I'll think of something.

Click "read more" to see pics!

The first obi is a cream based summer weave, with purple flowers that have been identified as Columbine/Aquilegia. They're so classy looking and beautiful! I love purple.

The second obi is also cream-based with a cord motif in oranges with gold embroidery. She didn't like the color of the cord, but I did. Don't know what I'll wear it with yet, but I'll find something!

The long haori is fairly large, and polyester, so it's easy to clean and I don't have to worry about it. It's got bamboo designs in fake shibori and has a black base.

These are the fabric bits I received. Any ideas on what to do with them?

In addition to a sleeveless boy's kimono for scrap fabric:

More pics of these items (mostly closeups) in my photobucket gallery here.

Notch in my Himo

2010-07-11T21:11:00.000-04:00

In June I received an email from a girl looking for someone who could dress her future sister-in-law in kimono at her wedding. I replied with the contact info for Sun-san and a friend of mine. I wrote her back two days before the wedding and she replied that everyone was busy because that weekend was festival weekend (there were 2-3 natsu matsuri's going on that weekend) and all the Japanese people were busy, and she wanted to know if I could do it.

I was going to go to the festivals, but decided this was an opportunity not to be missed, so I said "yes". So, Saturday night I reviewed how to tie Otaiko musubi (drum knot, the common one) since I don't ever tie that one when I can do something fun, and hoped things would go okay on Sunday.

The wedding wasn't in Chicago proper - in fact, it wasn't in Illinois at all - and required a rental car. So I drove out there on a Sunday (1hr), and dressed her sister-in-law, who was lovely. The bride's fiancee is Japanese and that's why his sister wanted to wear kimono. She had all the required himo and everything, so that was nice (I'd brought some just in case). I dressed her in less than half an hour, and that was taking my time, so I'm happy with that. She's also way skinnier than I am used to, being Japanese (I've only dressed Western bodies before). Most amusing was her mother and her family talking about how it was funny that an American had to dress a Japanese in kimono because none of the Japanese knew how. lol Knowing some Japanese pays off. XD

So, though I could have left (in hindsight, wishing I had), I stayed for the ceremony. It was beautiful and they're an adorable couple. I left right after that.

I didn't have a rate set, having not done it for pay before, but they were generous and paid me about $100, plus covering the car rental to get out there. I think they were satisfied with the kitsuke (I was) and super relieved someone could come and do it.

I'm excited that I can put this "notch" in my belt (or should that be himo?), so to speak, and super grateful for the opportunity.

And without further ado, here are two pics of the woman I dressed (with a fuzzy face for anonymity's sake) [clickable thumbnails]:

Kimono Sunday

2010-02-22T21:46:00.001-05:00

The recently formed Chicago Kimono Club had a kimono-wearing event on Sunday, February 21st, from 1-3pm. I’ve invited people and advertised it to the JETAA community and on IG, but I was the only attendee who was not Japanese. That’s okay! I’ll keep at it; it’s good experience.

I was debating all day Saturday and Sunday morning if I’d wear kimono, but I decided against it and even forewent haori. I didn’t want to put on kimono there due to the sarashi being a bit of a hassle and requiring no modesty whatsoever (for the uninitiated, a sarashi is a 10m length of white cotton wrapped around the body, often under kimono; it can be seen on some taiko players, wrapped around their middle). I tried to find a picture of one on a person, but I could only find a picture of sarashi in a package.

A few people dropped by to say hello, but there were 6 or 7 people who stayed for the entire time. Aside from myself, there were the founders of the NCJAA (New Chicago Japanese American Association), Youko-san and Sugano-san, another woman who wanted practice with obi only, and two women in their 20s who were in the US for school. They were the ones mostly learning to wear kimono, and one of them takes koto lessons as well (but I forgot which one). One girl had the cutest haircut, and it really suited her and the kimono look. It gave her a modern retro look.

[Don't mind the glasses, it's for anonymity.]

Halfway through, Sun-san showed up. Sun-san was instructing at the last seminar. She was a kimono dresser at a salon, and can do it very quickly. I asked her this time how she learned, and she said that first she was a hairdresser, but expanded her services. She practiced by dressing people every day for a year, and so got good that way. I understand now why she said she wasn’t licenced or from a particular school; she just had to learn as a matter of course.

She showed some quick-dressing when she arrived. She had the juban and the kimono already together, held by a clip. Instead of a chikara-nuno (an extra piece of fabric sewn to the collar to help keep the back of the collar down), she had a himo sewn to the midline of the juban, about one stretched-out hand distance down the back from the collar. It came though the arm holes and tied in the front. When the himo ends were equal in length, she knew it was straight. To get a V-shape in the back, you sew it once, in the middle; for a U-shape, sew it in the middle and 2 sides, to hold those down (under the shoulderblades). You can also do this with safety pins in a pinch.

Once that was tied, she tied the himo which had been sewn to her nagajuban, and quickly aligned her collar and tied it. She had it on in a minute or less; it was truly impressive! (She was waering it over her clothing, but it still was quite smooth.) On this, she wore the kimono. Instead of holding the front and grabbing the back seam and lifting up like I was taught, she holds the ends of the collars out in each hand, lifts up, and lowers it down until it’s the right length. Following this, she does the usual alignment of the skirt seams and ties her koshihimo.

Making her ohashori was different, and a snazzy, fast trick! It looked nice and smooth, too, and it was something I’d never tried. She aligned the kimono collars, showing 1.5cm of juban collar on each side of the cross-point, and tied a regular himo just under her bust. Then, she reached in from the right and folded/pushed the inner layer out of the way, so the ohashori was one layer, and then used a rubber/polyester datejime (but you could use a non-polyester one) and placed it low, just a few inches above the ohashori. It didn’t cover the upper himo at all, and held the inner fabric out of the way. I tried this on a girl who I was helping teach kitsuke, and it works! It’s so easy. Maybe hard to explain, but one day I should get pictures or a quick video to show what I mean.

Following this, she put on the hanhaba obi, tying it in a bunko/chocho (butterfly) variation. The whole thing, even with her talking, was about 5 minutes. Ahhh, I love learning different ways to do things!

As for myself, I was paired up with one of the young Japanese women, and I taught her how to tie bunko obi, as she was young (and honesty, I can’t tie bunko without a lot of practice… one crutch of always using a biyosugata). When Sun-san came in, she complimented it, and the girl had tied it herself, so that was nice.

Afterward, we cleaned up, had tea, and chatted. Sun-san is doing a kimono show at the Japan Festival 2010 near Mitsuwa Market on June 26th and 27th. I hope to be in Canada by then, so I can’t go, though the festival looks like a lot of fun and they were hoping I’d show up. They want to have another event in May, before I leave, sort of as a farewell. How sweet! I’m supposed to pick the day based on my schedule, but I think anytime but AN weekend is okay.

All in all, glad I went. It was nice to see my Japanese friends again, try out my poor Japanese, and pretend I was in Japan (being in a back corner of a building with only Japanese people will do that).

The Impermanence of All Things: Heike Monogatari Biwa Concert

2010-02-14T23:05:00.002-05:00

On Thursday, the 3rd of February, Hiraoka Yoko performed in the theatre on the third floor of the Ida Noyes Building on the University of Chicago campus. The event was sponsored by the Center for East Asian Studies.

Hiraoka Yoko is known for koto, shamisen, and biwa. She studied under Iemoto Suga Kouka, and has been given the performance name Youka. Her teacher, Suga Kouka, is an inheritor of the Yamato-ryu Biwa-gaku style under Living National Treasure Yamazaki Kyokusui. Her training is strongly centered on the classical medieval collection of The Tale of Heike.

The Ida Noyes building is a lovely old building with interesting architecture. It reminded me of some of the buildings around Queen’s Campus or old churches. The buiding had character. The hall had a small stage, about 3 – 4 feet high, and murals on the walls. One side had large windows to look out onto the rest of the campus, or the glowing lights (as I was there when it was dark). The stage lacked a spotlight, and so was lit with a large table lamp, casting a warm glow over the biwa and seiza cushion. The back of the stage was blocked by a velvet ochre curtain.

Hiraoka-san came out wearing modern red kimono that looked fuchsia in the warm light. The sleeves were long, perhaps 60cm, and the ends were black with white and gold specks. The sleeves also had butterfly motifs. It reminded me of an altered furisode, giving a mature but still youthful feeling. The picture I found is of the same outfit, but the dateeri color she wore for the concert was green, which was the same color as embroidered kiku (chrysanthemum) on her gold obi. It gave a slight nod to spring, but was appropriately formal and not overly so. Her hair was in a ponytail with a barrette and a black tulle bow kanzashi.

Hiraoka-san gave a lecture recital that lasted approximately 90 minutes. You can read more about it on her website. It was both informative and entertaining. It was my first time hearing biwa, and it reminded me of the shamisen in a way. I couldn’t tell if the biwa accentuated the singing and storytelling, or if the storytelling accented the biwa music. The Tale of Heike was originally shared through biwahoshi (storytelling with biwa music). Her renditions were accentuated by slides showing reference images and pictures of shoji screens.

The parts of The Tale of Heike that she performed included Gion Shoja, which opens with the classic lines, “The sound of the bells at the Gion temple echoes the impermanence of all things”. She also performed Nasu no Yoichi, the tale of the archer knocking a fan off the enemy’s boat in a tossing sea, and The Tragedy at Dan-no-Ura, about the drowning of the young Emperor.

I attended with my friend, Sugano-san, who is a koto instructor in Chicago. She was telling me about having dinner with Hiraoka-san the night before, and how enjoyable it was to catch up. It makes me wish my Japanese was better, as she has some amazing connections!

Unfortunately, we could not take pictures in the hall, and my camera is terrible in low-light, so I found the photos online to illustrate this post. The outfit in the picture is the same as she wore to the concert at Ida Noyes Hall. You can see more pictures of her and learn more about Hiraoka-san, biwa, koto, and shamisen music, at her website. Her 2010 performance calendar is available. It seems she’ll be visiting Colorado, Pennsylvania, Kansas, and Florida in the future.

Here is an article in the Chicago Weekly about the concert.

Curious Kingfisher Gaiwan

2009-09-05T23:01:00.011-04:00

The other day I decided it was time to break in my first gaiwan.

A gaiwan is a vessel for drinking tea and is of Chinese origin. It has 3 parts; a saucer, a cup/bowl, and a lid. Tea leaves are put in the gaiwan loose, and when it is time to drink, one uses the lid to strain the tea, either into another vessel for drinking or for direct consumption from the gaiwan. Green and white teas are preferentially used in the gaiwan. I found that using tea with larger leaves was easier to strain; I think I would have difficulty with a rooibos as it seems to be finer.

My gaiwan is the "Curious Kingfisher Gaiwan" from Tevana, purchased back in March (it is now discontinued, which is why it was on sale; they now carry a mug version). It was sitting nice on a shelf in my room, and I figured I really ought to put it to use. I actually purchased two of them; one was for a friend with an interest and knowledge in tea, and it was she who first explained to me how to drink tea from it. I was happy to give her an item she enjoyed, as it has a delicate Asian flair which she would appreciate, and was also her first gaiwan. Since they are matching, I think of her every time I see it.

I decided to make Tokyo Lime, a green tea that I received from friends in a care package, so I have no idea what company makes it. Drinking from it took some practice! I eventually successfully developed a one-handed technique to hold the lid on to filter the tea as I drank (though this is not the way you're supposed to do it, I learned later). I did have some trouble when it was nearly empty, though; due to the wide opening at the top, if I tipped it too far and misjudged how much was left in it, it spilled out the sides and ran down my chin. >.<

(Image from Teavana)

From the Teavana page with the products with the kingfisher:
Beautiful and symbolic. Featuring a brightly plumed kingfisher (a symbol of luck) perched upon a blooming peony branch (a symbol of Spring, female beauty and prosperity), this mug was created using a firing technique created during the Ming Dynasty(1368-1644 AD) in China. The luminescent, silky glaze is impossible to resist and helps the hand gilded gold and colors leap off of the tea cup.

In Japanese, the peony is "botan" (牡丹) and kingfisher is harder to determine, as there are different types, and I have no idea what type of kingfisher this is. Perhaps "kawasemi" (川蝉) which translates to "river cicada". A google-search brought up lots of images of gorgeous plumage; the color is amazing and I can see why a color may share the same name as the bird.*

I'm still learning about tea; my main interest is kimono. Though I find that I am favoring loose-leaf teas now to tea bought in bags from the grocery store. I think having the right equipment to use it is essential to that enjoyment (like the travel mugs I have with filters).

Links:
Gaiwan @Wikipedia
Kingfisher Mug at Teavana (the gaiwan is no longer available)
Gaiwan Tea Preparation.

* "hisui", which means "jade"

Testing 1-2-3

2009-08-28T16:05:00.004-04:00

Welcome!

Not much is happening at the moment, but as I get things together there should be more activity here.

If you can't tell by the title, this blog will focus on kimono and Japanese culture and my 'heartful' experiences with them. I wanted to share my knowledge and my 'heart of kimono' with everyone.

"Kimono no kokoro" can mean "heart of kimono" or "kimono's heart"; I wanted to share my "heart" of kimono with everyone. As for the "English" translation, I settled on "heartful", as it's often used in Japanese English and fondly reminds me of the culture and my experiences. It also brings a smile to my face! I want to wear kimono in a 'heartful' manner, and share the joy kimono and Japanese culture brings me.