tagged w/ kimono
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Toshiya is a centuries old tradition close to New Year's where archers come to test their mettle at Sanjusangendo Temple in Kyoto. Over 2000 archers go there many of them young girls in kimono and hakama celebrating their coming of age ceremonies.
In the past archers would try to see how many arrows they could shoot in a 24-hour period or how many times they could hit the target out of a set number of arrows. Today because of the huge number of participants, each archer generally shoots about 2 arrows at targets 60 meters away. The main attraction is the number of pretty girls in their beautiful kimono.Toshiya is a centuries old tradition close to New Year's where archers come to... more
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It’s time for me to get back to the 49 mile drive and today, it’s all about J-Town as we called it in high school or Japantown. The Japanese who mostly lived in Chinatown in the 1800′s after the 1906 earthquake needed a new place to live and moved to the sandy, crappy, yet spacious Western Addition. In this area near Geary and Gough street started a Japanese community that came together to hold their own.It’s time for me to get back to the 49 mile drive and today, it’s all... more
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In Old Japan, the summertime was the time for ghost stories. Japanese summers tend to be hot and humid and ghost stories are a form of old fashion all natural air conditioning.
Given our problems with Global Warming and Global Recession, perhaps turning off our air conditioners and telling ghost stories might have to ease the burden of both.
Here I tell (as best as I can) the story of a curse kimono that caused death to its owners and is believed to be the source of one of the worst fires Tokyo suffered from in its early history.
The story can be found in Ghostly Japan by Lafcadio Hearn.In Old Japan, the summertime was the time for ghost stories. Japanese summers tend to... more
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Are kimono clad girls on Seijin-no-Hi (Japan's Coming of Age Day) quickly becoming
a thing of the past?
"A declining population, rising kimono prices, and a growing disinterest in traditional culture has led to fewer sightings of Seijin-no-Hi's main attraction - kimono clad girls."
Are kimono clad girls on Seijin-no-Hi (Japan's Coming of Age Day) quickly... more
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2007 was the lowest turn out for Adult Day in 20 years.
"The overall figure of today's 20 year olds is a grim 1.09% of the entire population. This year's low numbers has rekindled the brooding fear of a top-heavy population of the elderly over a smaller population of youth."
2007 was the lowest turn out for Adult Day in 20 years.
"The overall figure of... more
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I recently uploaded a photo montage pod on Japan's Coming of Age Day or Seijin-no-Hi. Here's my blog article with more info on the celebration.
"On Seijin-no-Hi, girls will wear a special type of kimono known as a furisode. A furisode has long sleeves ..... Around their waist is tied a wide belt known as an obi. The obi of young women are often more decorative than those of older women and is tied a certain way .... A full furisode kimono can cost as much as a new car. Some families might rent one or pass one from mother to daughter."
I recently uploaded a photo montage pod on Japan's Coming of Age Day or... more
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