The kimono is likely one of the first things you think of when you hear the word "Japan," and Kitsuke is the art of putting on and wearing kimonos. The fact that getting dressed is considered an art should give you some clue about how complicated wearing a traditional kimono can be.
Last semester, I bought a beautiful orange and gold kimono at the second hand store. It was everything I ever thought a kimono should be - orange of the Shinto shrine gates, with golden embroidery and long draped sleeves, covered in Japanese motifs like cranes, pines, bamboo, and plum and cherry blossoms. At the second hand price, I couldn't say no to something that made me feel like a queen.
Little did I know that actually wearing it wouldn't be that simple. About a month ago, I saw an ad for free entry to arguably the oldest castle in Japan for those wearing kimono. I talked my friends, Miyoko and Yui, into going with me, and thus, began my month long research project into the art of kitsuke. I don't want to bore you with too many details, but I do hope to give a glimpse into the complicated process that is wearing a kimono.
First of all, there are about 9 different kinds of kimonos, depending on how you count the subcategories. To choose which type, you must consider the woman's age and marital status, as well as the occasion and season. Luckily, the kimono I had bought months ago was for young (under 30, whew barely made it) and unmarried women. Traditionally, the bright colors and long sleeves were meant to help a woman attract a man. Nowadays, the showier kimonos are usually worn for coming of age ceremonies, but they can be worn to other formal events such as weddings or tea ceremonies.
After you choose your style of kimono (for me, "chuu-furisode", with sleeves that fall at or a little below the knees), you must choose the "obi". This is the part that's tied around the waist and fixed with a special knot at the back. There are 11 types of obis, as well as around 6 kinds of obi accessories. Again, the obi must be matched to the wearer's age and marital status, to the occasion, and now, to the type and color of the kimono it will be worn with. If that isn't enough, there are at least 10 different types of knots, with variations of those 10 all over the place. The knot (called "musubi") coordinates with the type of obi you've chosen, and some musubi can only be tied with certain kinds of obis for specific occasions worn by limited demographic. Whew! No wonder it took me a month to wade through so much information!
I was finally able to get a bilingal glossary together that would aide me in my trip back to the second hand kimono store. I would need around 15 pieces to (attempt to) wear my kimono correctly. The woman at the store was excellent at her job and so helpful, and I walked out of that shop a little poorer, but really excited to try out my new art form.
Last semester, I bought a beautiful orange and gold kimono at the second hand store. It was everything I ever thought a kimono should be - orange of the Shinto shrine gates, with golden embroidery and long draped sleeves, covered in Japanese motifs like cranes, pines, bamboo, and plum and cherry blossoms. At the second hand price, I couldn't say no to something that made me feel like a queen.
Little did I know that actually wearing it wouldn't be that simple. About a month ago, I saw an ad for free entry to arguably the oldest castle in Japan for those wearing kimono. I talked my friends, Miyoko and Yui, into going with me, and thus, began my month long research project into the art of kitsuke. I don't want to bore you with too many details, but I do hope to give a glimpse into the complicated process that is wearing a kimono.
First of all, there are about 9 different kinds of kimonos, depending on how you count the subcategories. To choose which type, you must consider the woman's age and marital status, as well as the occasion and season. Luckily, the kimono I had bought months ago was for young (under 30, whew barely made it) and unmarried women. Traditionally, the bright colors and long sleeves were meant to help a woman attract a man. Nowadays, the showier kimonos are usually worn for coming of age ceremonies, but they can be worn to other formal events such as weddings or tea ceremonies.
After you choose your style of kimono (for me, "chuu-furisode", with sleeves that fall at or a little below the knees), you must choose the "obi". This is the part that's tied around the waist and fixed with a special knot at the back. There are 11 types of obis, as well as around 6 kinds of obi accessories. Again, the obi must be matched to the wearer's age and marital status, to the occasion, and now, to the type and color of the kimono it will be worn with. If that isn't enough, there are at least 10 different types of knots, with variations of those 10 all over the place. The knot (called "musubi") coordinates with the type of obi you've chosen, and some musubi can only be tied with certain kinds of obis for specific occasions worn by limited demographic. Whew! No wonder it took me a month to wade through so much information!
I was finally able to get a bilingal glossary together that would aide me in my trip back to the second hand kimono store. I would need around 15 pieces to (attempt to) wear my kimono correctly. The woman at the store was excellent at her job and so helpful, and I walked out of that shop a little poorer, but really excited to try out my new art form.
All 14 pieces (minus the hairpieces, which made 15...). The dark orange kimono is the "underwear" and the thin strips of cloth on the top left are for tying and holding up all the kimonos while you sort out all the other pieces you'll be wearing. The oval shaped pad at the top is a stiff board that goes over the kimono, but under the obi, so that the obi doesn't wrinkle at your waste. Kitsuke is all about no wrinkles and crisp lines! The black and gold fabric is the obi, which is super stiff and thick in order to hold the shape of the knot well. As you're tying that elaborate musubi knot, the little white pillow goes under to give the bow more volume. The purple and blue silk "obiage" (original price tag still on it said $300!!!) covers the little pillow in the back under the bow, and it makes a cute sash at the front of the outfit. The little white and gold cord with tassles at the end is the "obijime", used to tie down the tail of the obi, and to secure the obi all in place. Lastly, are the oh-so-stylish toe socks ("tabi") and fancy flip flops, called "zori," which the sales lady informed me were stylishly and appropriately too small. Wouldn't want the hem of my kimono getting stuck in back of my shoes! Thank goodness I found it all at the very cheap second hand store...a friend told me a story of a kimono that costs upwards of $50,000!!!
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After watching countless YouTube videos and practicing my Tateya ("standing arrow" meant to look like an arrow quiver) musubi at home around 4-5 times, I was ready! I woke up two hours before we needed to leave the house on Saturday morning, and between hair, makeup, and kitsuke, I used up those full two hours!
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| Yikes! What am I doing?! |
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| Ready to go! |
After all this work, I was still not sure how I would be received as a foreigner wearing a formal kimono in public. Young Japanese women usually have somone else dress them, so kitsuke is a dying art form, but of course, I leave the house and see only old ladies!! Surely they could see all the ways I was wearing it incorrectly! I was relieved when one elderly woman on the bus told me I looked beautiful, and several others stopped to do double takes or wave on the train. Two other women came over to help me tweak little things while I was riding the train, and this all helped boost my confidence. Despite the younger generation being unphased, at least the older women were showing either neutral or positive reactions so far...but the real test was yet to come.
I was even more nervous to walk into the kimono store where my friends Miyoko and Yui were getting dressed. These ladies would be professionals, and they would surely know that I was a complete beginner! I was convinced they would easily see through my YouTube facade. To my surprise, they were excited I was wearing a kimono, and when my friends told them I had gotten dressed by myself, the shop ladies were super impressed! Ah what a sigh of relief for me!!! Of course they helped me tweak a few things (the nape of my neck was too covered, gasp!), but they were so kind, and they seemed excited I had tried kitsuke, even if it wasn't perfect.
Then it was time to hit the town! Miyoko and Yui looked beautiful in their kimonos, and Paco was a lucky guy to hang out with three lovely ladies all day! ;) We visited Inuyama Castle, one of Japan's original wooden castles, and we enjoyed street snacks and autumn colors.
Our accidental "Visit Japan Brochure" pose!
In the end, it was a wonderful day! I was proud that I had worked hard to learn something new and interesting, and I was relieved to find that Japanese people were generally very excited to see a foreigner appreciating traditional culture. Now, I just need to find another excuse to wear it again!
More pictures here on my Flickr!
https://www.flickr.com/gp/134658886@N08/9MFMC4
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