F. A(nswered) Q.'s

[Kiyoaki]

Normally this heading would have all sorts of information for people that are new to our message board and/or unfamiliar with 'wafuku' or Japanese dress. However, we have not had a necessity to compile such a list of questions so far, and have instead decided to modify this feature by re-directing your questions (if they have already been answered), or by periodically posing our own question and then answering it before it's voiced.

You might also check the entire heading listing to see if your question has already been asked, and hopefully answered. If you find a reply under a given heading that needs further clarification, you chould pose your followup question under that same heading or try to e-mail the person that made the reply for further explanations. We'll start by answering the most basic of all questions [at least as it concerns this board].

What is a kimono?

For most, the term 'kimono' may signify the traditional dress of Japanese women, or any gown that has an overlapping front closure. Both are correct, however, there are a wealth of Japanese forms covered by that term, which receive scant notice or are less well know to non-Japanese.

You are welcome to browse by subject heading and add comments or questions of your own (where necessary). However, if you encounter something which you need to have explained for you, please make your inquiries here, rather than where you first saw the posting.

I might also point out our "Glossary" heading, which explains many terms related to Japanese textiles. If you find a term used in these postings, most likely it will be covered under that heading, which is organized alphabetically for easy reference.

Welcome!

Kiyoaki

[Kiyoaki]

For the basic distinctions between men's and women's kimono, see the June 2nd reply, under the heading Men's Style. If one is well-versed in the differences, it's possible to identify the age of the wearer as well.

In the case of women's kosode, her marital status and whether she's had children can also be determined. There are even kimono for informal visiting and running errands, others for formal visits, funerals (both as attendees and as the corpse), formal celebrations, and even special ones for wearing after your bath. The range is stuplefying.

Kiyoaki

[Kiyoaki]

This question will always come up.

The Japanese are very right-hand oriented. Everything must be done with that hand [i.e. writing, eating, fencing]. So too, does that apply to dressing.

For an answer to this eternal question, see my reply under the heading Commonly Observed Kimono Blunders.

Kiyoaki

[Kiyoaki]

A number of people in the past have asked for help in dating their items or just more information about motifs and such. If you have a similar question in mind, please attach one or more pictures with your message. The more pictures you send, the greater will be the chances you'll get accurate information.

Please include front and back views at a minmum. In addition, sample shots of the details and perhaps magnified views, are even better (if it's possible).

Please bear in mind, that we are not appraisers. Commercial values will vary with each market, so no estimations can be offered.

Kiyoaki

[Kiyoaki]

TO ALL READERS:

If you find some of the replies within a given heading do not seem to fit with the one that precedes it, there is a reason for that. In August of this year (2002), Ichiroya, the host for this message board created a second one as part of their revamped web site. There was some discussion regarding how it might be possible to integrate the two sites in order that continuity could be maintained and there wouldn't be the need to repeat what had been said before.

New links were placed in the new site in an attempt to tie the two of them together. Others attempted to copy all the replies under one heading onto the new board, but encounted technical problems, which caused the order of the replies to become shuffled. In the course of these events, one person decide to erase all his postings (100+ replies). I cannot quite make out why he felt this was necessary, and it was done without anyone's urging. Nevertheless, those deletions created the noticeable 'non sequiturs' you've encountered.

In addition to the disjointed nature of some of the sequences, the chronological sequence of headings has been drastically altered to reflect the order in which he completed the deletions. This aspect will not be obvious to new readers of this board (if there are any of you out there). Eventually, the normal chronology will assert itself, if the former community of readers and contributors continue to visit this site and add new replies.

For my self, I will continue to revisit this site on a regualr basis to check for signs of life and add entries at my whim. I hope others will rediscover this message board and decide to rejoin the dialogue by extending its' life. Whether you are a first-time reader or an old-time contributor, please send me an e-mail when you've read this entry. Your replies will help me gauge whether I'm carrying on a crusade to save this board or just a monologue.

Kiyoaki