Japanese race clothes

【Traditional dyed products】What is Yuzen? About Yuzen Techniques and Characteristics by Production Area

What is Yuzen? Those who are familiar with kimono have heard of yuzen at least once. Yuzen is a dyeing method for patterns when dyeing cloth using rice, which has been indispensable to the Japanese people since ancient times. The name “yuzen” is said to have originated in the Edo period (1603-1867) from a Kyoto fan painter (Miyazaki Yuzenzai), who applied the then popular fan painting style to the pattern of kosode, and the dyeing process became widespread. The characteristics of the patterns are known as curvilinear and simplified animals, plants, vessels, and landscapes, etc. Natural dyes were used as raw materials for the colors, but in recent years chemical dyes have been used. The technique of preventing dyeing by gluing, which is said to be the most distinctive feature of yuzen dyeing, prevents neighboring colors from mixing by placing […]

What is Kimono? Types of Kimono (Japanese Clothing)

What is kimono? The word kimono( Japanese clothes) was originally created in the Meiji period (1868-1912) to describe Japanese clothing as opposed to Western clothing. The word “kimono” As western clothes permeated Japanese culture over time, the word “kimono” began to be used to refer to Japanese clothing and kimonos, rather than the general clothing that was originally meant to be worn. In the course of time, it came to refer to clothing used for kimonos such as haori and kimonos for kimono, etc. Main Classifications of Clothing Clothing in general can be classified into three main categories, which are explained in detail below. Hangover type Hangover type garments are those that are wrapped or hung on the body without being cut or sewn. Kanto-i style This type of garment is made by cutting holes or slits in the cloth […]

What is Japanese Embroidery? History and Techniques of Japanese Embroidery

What is Japanese Embroidery? Japanese embroidery is an embroidery technique that has been practiced in Japan since ancient times. The patterns on kimono and other garments are created using the advanced techniques cultivated in Japanese embroidery. Japanese embroidery makes kimonos look luxurious and gives “meaning to wear” by designing lucky charms. In this article, we will introduce such Japanese embroidery. History of Japanese Embroidery The history of Japanese embroidery is said to be long, beginning around the 5th century when it was introduced from the continent along with Buddhism. Later, as time went by, embroidery, which had previously been used mostly for embroidering Buddhist statues for religious purposes, came to be widely used for clothing decoration, and Japanese original techniques were created one after another. Most of the techniques used today were perfected by artisans from the Momoyama to Edo […]

What is Japanese Traditional Costume?

What is Japanese traditional costume? The Japanese traditional costume is the kimono. This term was created in the Meiji period (1868-1912) as western style clothing entered Japan. This time, we would like to introduce Japanese traditional costumes, including their history before they were called kimonos. The History of Japanese Traditional Costumes The kimono originated in the Jomon period. Men used to wear a piece of cloth called kanpui, which was just a piece of cloth wrapped around the body, and women used to wear kantoi, which was a piece of cloth with holes in it through which the head would stick out. The upper half of the garment was made up of a tube-sleeved garment, while the lower half was made up of an ayui for men and a kinumo for women. The ayui is a trouser-like garment that is […]

What is Tsumugi? A detailed explanation of the main production areas of tsumugi

What is Tsumugi? Tsumugi is a dyed fabric made of silk threads. The silk threads are drawn from the cocoons of silkworms, and the fabric surface is made of the silk threads, giving it a unique shine. The technique of thread yarn dyeing used for tsumugi is a method of expressing patterns by dyeing the threads before weaving the kimono. Unlike dyeing after weaving, yarn dyeing is a very expensive and timeconsuming process. However, the silk produced by yarn dyeing, which is both durable and beautiful, has survived the current of the times and continues to survive until the present day. Major production areas of silk products The culture of tsumugi is widely spread all over Japan, as it was used by the townspeople in the Edo period (1603-1868). Such tsumugi is widely used throughout the country. Of course, there […]

What is a HAORI? About the History of the HAORI

What is a Haori? A Haori is a type of short kimono, an outer garment worn over a kosode. Many celebrities are seen wearing it during New Year’s specials. The haori’s history The history of the haori dates back to the Warring States period. Leading military commanders used haori decorated with their family crests or favorite patterns as protection against the cold winter months. In the Edo period (1603-1867), the haori Hakama, worn first with the hakama, became a stylized garment. It became the daily wear for warriors and the formal attire for townspeople. By the mid-Edo period, the haori hakama with a black crest (montsuki haori hakama) became the most formal attire. At the same time, the haori also came to be used as a sign of a person’s status and family background. The wearer’s family or clan crest […]