{"id":2513,"date":"2019-02-25T16:07:04","date_gmt":"2019-02-25T16:07:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/?p=2513"},"modified":"2020-10-06T10:39:04","modified_gmt":"2020-10-06T09:39:04","slug":"history-significance-of-the-japanese-kimono","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wendywutours.co.uk\/blog\/japan\/history-significance-of-the-japanese-kimono\/","title":{"rendered":"The History And Significance Of The Japanese Kimono"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Japanese kimono has been a traditional garment worn by many in Japan for centuries and still holds remarkable symbolic and historical significance in the 21st<\/sup> century. Here we look through the history and significance of the Japanese kimono and how it has become a point of interest, especially with those seeking culture through detailed tours of Japan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

History of the Japanese Kimono<\/h2>\n

\"History<\/a><\/p>\n

During the 8th<\/sup> century, the earliest forms of the kimono were influenced by the traditional Han Chinese clothing, known today in Japan as Hanfu. As Chinese culture frequently influenced Japanese fashion, they soon adopted and adapted their style of clothing, particularly in women\u2019s fashion.<\/p>\n

The kimono evolved to take on different styles and various sub-styles, such as the Kosode \u2013 a single kimono which was formerly worn as underwear. During the Edo period of 1607 and 1867, multiple changes were applied to the traditional kimono with the addition of longer sleeves, as well as the obi, a thick belt securing layers of the kimono and material around the waist. These became more popular amongst unmarried women.<\/p>\n

Geisha<\/h2>\n

\"Geisha<\/a><\/p>\n

Geisha are the world-renowned traditional Japanese female entertainers who are trained in various performing arts and who also act as hostesses, mainly to accommodate the male customers.<\/p>\n

The kimono has been a longstanding characteristic of the geisha, along with the white faces, hair ornaments, such as flowers and blossoms known as Kanzashi, and their beautifully applied make-up. On average it costs \u00a3348,000 to train as a geisha and most of this is spent on Kanzashi, wigs and, most importantly, the Japanese kimono.<\/p>\n

Like other native dress traditions around the world, for the geisha, the style of the Japanese kimono is dependent on the season, celebration and event that they are attending. The different colours and embroidery patterns also reflect the seniority of the geisha herself. A junior\u2019s collar will be predominantly red with silver, gold or white embroidery. As they get to their second and third year of training, this will be embroidered with discreet white detail when seen from the front, then completely white when she is a fully trained geisha.<\/p>\n

Its Significance<\/h2>\n

\"Wedding<\/a><\/p>\n

Each layer of the kimono represents an element of Japan’s history, building to the style that we know today. When the kimono first appeared in the eighth century, Heian noblewomen wore twelve layers, symbolising both the seasons and events during the peaceful Heian era of 794 \u2013 1192 AD.<\/p>\n

Jez Willard from The Japanese Shop<\/a>, took influence for his ideas whilst living in Japan. Jez comments: \u201cI remember first seeing ladies wearing brightly coloured kimono on the first of what became many wonderful trips to the beautiful city of Kyoto. When I lived in Japan I became used to seeing them being worn on special occasions or on visiting temples and shrines.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was amazed to learn that you cannot simply put on a kimono, there are many layers and aspects to a kimono.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Japanese kimono is a significant part of wedding and tea ceremony<\/a> formal wear, and sumo wrestlers are required to dress in the traditional clothing whenever they appear in the public eye. All styles are sewn by hand, decorated in different patterns and colours in accordance with the occasion or season, and use a silk, linen and hemp based material. Single, repeated patterns on a kimono are considered to be informal, whilst designs that have been created in a free-style sense are considered the formal choice.<\/p>\n

Types of Kimono<\/h3>\n