love of traditional japan

[Inthewrongcountry]

Hello my name is Stephanie and I live in the country of america. I live in what we call the west and out here it is all cowboy hats and blue jeans. I love the japanese culture and their traditions as well as the modern Japan.
I own 1 kimono a homongi. and a pair of childrens geta and other assorted Items that were givin to me by foriegn exchange students. I have loved japan since the age of three when my aunt let me play with a blue kimono. out here japanese things are far and few between. I have nobody to relate my love of kimono and japan here. I am teased and ridiculed at school.
so I thought I would start this and connect with people who do agree with my feelings for the radience of a kimono and the love of japan.

Thank You with all my heart,
Stephanie

[Rachel_gs]

Stephanie,

You are in the right place. Everyone who posts to this board loves kimono or some aspect of the Japanese culture. I myself am deeply inlove with the different textures of silk and all the designs that can be created with Yuzen dyeing tecnique(sp?).

Im in Texas so I know how difficult it is to find kimono and Japanese related items in the middle of the country. Ichiro and Yuka are the best people you could have hoped to stumble across. They are wonderful!

And dont give anyone at school any mind. There are plenty of other people obsessed or worse with Japan. Its not unusual.


-Rachel

[Inthewrongcountry]

Thank you for your encourage ment I am trying to learn as much as possible about kimono.

stephanie


please anybody i would like to learn what you know about japan and kimono.

[AndyZ]

Hi Stephanie,

Welcome to the message board. Rachel said it... you are in the right place. Like you I live far away from anywhere I could find kimono related items to buy. I live in deepest rural England in a village where there is no shop of any kind- not even to buy food.

I used to think I was the only person with this incurable love of kimono, but I've found that there are quite a few of us and it is quite the normal thing among the board members. For me, kimono are a great source of inspiration to have round me as I work. I just wish I could buy them all the time. I visit Ichiroya every day and have done from the start. Even when not buying I still love to look and have learned so much from Ichiro san and Yuka san, and all the other people who write here. The Ichiroya weekly email newsletter especially, is always fascinating.

Some of my kimonos have been bought for me as gifts, and I have this suggestion to make to anyone who would like to build up a collection but for one reason or another haven't got unlimited funds. Instead of getting me lots of individual little presents for birthday or Christmas, my family ask me for a list of all the kimono I like and they get together to pool their finances to buy one for me. Believe me they get a lot of enjoyment from choosing and they are always as excited as I am for the big day to arrive. They find it just as hard to wait for me to open it so it is a gift that is a joy for the givers too. OK, so you don't have lots to open, but hey, with a stunning kimono who cares! It's a gift that you can enjoy and treasure for years to come. Anyway, it certainly beats aftershave and countless socks... (Or perfume and chocs... if that's what you get) Just a thought. It works for us anyway.

And I'm really looking forward to Christmas!

Best wishes and hope you enjoy the board. Andy

[sakura]

Hi, Stephanie.

I to am new to the list, but from what i have seen so far the people on here are the best! I live in ontario,canada so not many people here wear kimono's either. But my advise for you is this: if you enjoy them and you feel good about it then wear them and forget about any negitive things that are said to you. Most people that are afraid to express themselves will try to make you feel stupid. I say , just hang in there and do what you think is good for you not what everyone else wants you to do. My family is just starting to get use to seeing me in my kimono (still some comments) but I don't care anymore. I love my kimonos. I have had them for 20 years but just started to wear them full time. Take care and be happy yours, sakura

[AndyZ]

Hi akihito89,

In some ways I had missed your input into this board in the long time you stayed away. You certainly have a lively way of getting people talking, but new members don't remember you from before and are not used to your always making sweeping (and often inflamitory) statements.

I feel that this board unites people with a common interest, and there is a good feeling of friendly advice and chat. Perhaps not enough of the chat though, and maybe it would help you more if you wrote in a friendlier tone. To my mind there are some really special people using this board, and great friends are there to be found. But it's all a matter of trust and down to you whether or not that is what you want. It's easy to put people off when typing. No-one can hear the tone of voice to know if someone is joking or being serious.

And you know what? You aren't the only one with problems. Others here have too, and I myself have just been through two of the worst years of my life. But it is not the fault of anyone on this board so I don't discuss it here.

I can tell that you have a LOT to give in a discussion. I only wish you would channel it in a more positive way and think before running down whole countries, even the one you live in. Many people try very hard (some even heroically) to make a difference to the lives and well-being of those around them, whatever you say.

This board is about the one thing that joins us however distantly we live... the love of Japanese art and design, especially as displayed in kimono. It has enriched my life, even through the bad times. It brought colour and inspiration to my world even when the most I could do was borrow a book from the library and never imagined then that I would one day own a kimono myself.

You obviously love kimono too. I'd like to know what type of designs you like the best. We all know you like shiromuku, and I bet most of us do too. They are stunning. But why not tell us more about why you like them in particular? And do you like the ones with cranes better than other designs? I love the cranes but one of the most beautiful I ever saw was simply covered with white-embroidered bamboo. I was outbid on it and I've always remembered it with longing. I miss it.

Are there any motifs that put you off a design? For a long time I wasn't keen on kimonos with botan (peonies). For some reason they didn't seem to 'go' with the other flower motifs. I've got used to them now and like them but they still look more Chinese in style to me and tend to dominate any arrangement. And I like designs that strongly feature family crests.
What makes you want a particular kimono? What attracts you to it in the first place? (Question for everybody, not just akihito89)

Andy