KIMONO Appreciation Day

This past weekend, I traveled to the old and character-rich city, Kitsuki, with friends, Tina and Alex. We were going to attend, “Kimono Appreciation Day”, a day for one and all to put on their kimono, stroll around the city, and check out displays for the upcoming Doll Festival. Putting on a kimono is neither a quick nor easy thing to do. It is extremely complicated with several layers, pieces, belts and sashes and it takes a professional Kimono Dresser to do it. We went to a kimono rental shop to get ready for the day. The Kimono Sensei (means ‘teacher’ but also used to address a professional) selected our kimono and obi (belt) and we selected our sock size. The socks are very important. They are a special stiff cotton material that buttons around the ankle. There is a split between the big toe and the rest of the toes so that you can wear the special “flip flop” style wooden shoes called zori. The colors and patterns of the various pieces of clothing chosen by the Sensei don’t match by Western conventional standards, but somehow look amazing when together. I was dressed in an orange under-kimono, a light-purple kimono patterned with little pink flowers, a pink belt used as a corset (and yes, it was very tight!), a dark blue obi with a red and gold flower pattern, a light-orange sash around the top of my obi, a bright orange rope tied into a traditional knot, and a big bow on my back. I should mention that this process took over an hour. I lost count of the many sashes and belts that were tied around my middle to set everything in place. Having now been fitted into both a wedding dress and a kimono, the kimono definitely wins the prize for complexity! As soon as we got out on the street, the cameras were flashing. It is not everyday that you see foreigners dressed as traditional Japanese, so this was a sight to be documented. The three of us were sporting quite different looks and ethnicities: Alex, British but raised in America and Hong Kong, fair skinned with reddish brown hair and hazel eyes, Tina, originally from Hong Kong, but raised in America, black hair with Asian skin tone and black eyes, and myself, American but raised in Norway, blond hair and green/blue eyes. Everyone wanted to know our full stories and backgrounds! If we had charged for every person, group, and family that asked to take a picture of us and/or with us, we certainly would have left for the evening a great deal richer! The funny thing about the Japanese is that they never just snap one photo. Their fingers press the buttons of their hi-tech digital cameras multiple times, often with the sound function turned on so that all we heard was the buzzing of what felt like a swarm of paparazzi. The funny thing is, this is no exaggeration! We were spotted by a NHK (A national TV station) cameraman and asked to walk down a particular hill with the old castle gates in the background while naturally talking amongst ourselves. I don’t know when this will air, but I’ll search for it. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and we strolled down cobblestone streets, passed stone walls and ornate buildings.

Walking in the tightly wrapped kimono as well as in the stiff wooden zori made getting from point A to point B take twice as long. Of course, it didn’t help that we were getting stopped by intrigued bystanders with picture requests or questions about who we were and where we came from. To some, this might seem annoying, but you have to understand that they are simply excited that we take interest in and appreciate their culture. We chatted with so many friendly people in this cute little town, something which does not happen too often in Oita city. We finally made it to the professional photo shoot area where a photographer was waiting in a lovely Japanese garden. He positioned us in the traditional Japanese female pose: feet slightly turned inward, the left foot slightly further back than the right, and the hands positioned one over the other in front, slightly tilted upward. He snuck in a group shot of the 3 of us, something not originally included in the package, but since we were such a rarity, he insisted. The importance placed on esthetically beautiful surroundings in Japan is fantastic, everything in balance, everything with purpose. After a few hours, we decided to get lunch. We had considered waiting until after the kimonos were off to eat in order to not risk getting them dirty, but we overheard another woman at the kimono shop saying: “don’t worry about eating in the kimono, it’s just a rental…” After finding a nice little café, we soon discovered something new about the kimonos- there is not much room in that tightly wrapped outfit for food. No wonder Japanese women are so skinny! We somehow managed, and enjoyed the famous Kitsuki Sando- a specialty sandwich of the area. The last stop was back to the kimono shop to be undressed. This process didn’t take as long as getting dressed, but still required the professional’s assistance. It turns out that our Kimono Sensei lives near me in Oita and if I’d like, she will teach me the Art of Kimono! It had been a great day! Loving the cultural experience, but feeling wonderful in our own clothes again, we headed back to Oita and to more modern city life.