A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Kashima, a craftsman who works with the traditional art of painting family crests on Kimono. I was introduced to him by Mr. Matsuishi, my Japanese teacher. Kyoto has a lot of traditions and many old skills have been preserved here, particularly from the trade of kimono making. A formal kimono has the owner's family crest painted on both sides of the chest, in the neck and on both sleeves. The job is done by hand with Chinese ink and a thin brush. It is an incredible precision job which takes many years of apprenticeship to learn. No room for mistakes, kimono silk is expensive!
Kashima showing different designs of family crests.
There happened to be a kimono show in the building where I met Kashima. Here is some eye candy from that occasion.
Some kimono have long sleeves called "furisode". These are mainly worn by young unmarried women.
Note that two of the spectators in the background are also wearing kimono!
This picture is from the imperial palace grounds. These are clothes for the court nobles and they are of a much older and more elaborate type than the kimono above. During the Heian perioid (794 - 1185), a glimpse of the twelve layers of a court lady's sleeves, with its beautiful color composition, could be enough to put the hearts of young noblemen on fire.
Another great opportunity to see some really old fashioned Japanese clothing is the Jidai Matsuri, which translates as the "festival of the eras" or the "festival of ancientness". Despite its name, this event doesn't not have as ancient traditions as many other festivals in Kyoto. It was established in 1895, to commemorate Kyoto's thousand years as the capital of Japan after the emperor had moved to Tokyo. It is basically a historical reenactment festival, where thousands of Kyotoites parade on the streets in costumes from different periods between 794 and 1868.
People lined up in front of the Heian Shrine during the Jidai Matsuri.
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