Creative Culture

One of the unique culture that Japan really takes pride in is the Kimono. Kimono is widely used in almost any ceremony, especially ceremonies that are said to be ‘the milestone of life’ such as tea ceremonies, flower arrangements, Noh (lyric drama) and Kyōgen (brief farce/comic), and also classical dances.

A Kimono needs to go through a thorough process of weaving, dyeing and tailoring before it becomes complete, which explains the excellence in the smallest details of the design. Besides being a good product for sales, Kimono is often passed down from parents to their children.

But ‘Kimono’ is not just a pair of clothes. According to the Japanese, clothes that express the sense of beauty of Japanese people who deeply revere nature, can be said a Kimono. They are also known as Wafuku, which literally means ‘Japanese clothes’. On the other hand, western clothes are called Yōfuku. Many of the colors and patterns of Kimono are used to express Japan’s typical seasons and features.

Here are some Japanese phraseologies that are originated from Kimono, indicating how deeply rooted Kimono is in the life of the Japanese:

1. To be coherent … front and back are properly matched
2. Straighten up the collar … adjust the tangled clothes / focus the mind
3. Well-creased fold … to be polite
4. Sleeve touching the fold is karma … all minor events have connections with the previous life
5. Squeeze the sleeves … to cry one’s heart out that the sleeves get wet from tears
6. Divide the sleeves … to be separated with someone who had always been with us

With that being said, we (WA Japan company) believe that delivering our business through Kimono is a great idea, and we would be grateful if you try our Kimono collection as well.