Japanese kimono culture and characteristics

Japan’s Kimono Culture and Characteristics

Kimono originated in China’s Tang Dynasty, and the Japanese word “dress” comes from China’s Tang Dynasty robes. Due to the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty, the clothing and clothing at this time influenced each other from China and foreign countries. It is said that the Japanese kimono was "transplanted" from the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas of China at this time.

Around the 3rd century AD, according to "Wei Zhi·Biography of the Japanese", "a piece of cloth is used, with a hole in the middle and the head inserted through it. There is no need to tailor the clothes." This is the prototype of the kimono. During the Yamato era, the Japanese king sent envoys to China three times, bringing back a large number of Han weaving, Wu weaving and craftsmen who were good at weaving and sewing techniques. Most of the Chinese immigrants who crossed east to Fuso were literati and craftsmen, and they brought back Chinese clothing. The style was introduced to Japan. During the Nara period (718 AD), Japan sent a Tang delegation to China, where they were received by the Tang king and given a large number of court uniforms. These costumes were dazzling and very popular in Japan. At that time, all the civil and military officials in the Japanese court were envious. The following year, the Japanese monarch ordered that the entire country wear clothing imitating Sui and Tang styles.

In the Muromachi period of the 14th century, in accordance with Japan’s traditional habits and aesthetic tastes, clothing with the characteristics of Sui and Tang Dynasties gradually evolved and finalized, and there were no major changes in the following 600 years. As for the fanny pack, it was created by Japanese women who were influenced by Christian missionaries wearing robes and belts. The fanny pack was initially placed in the front and later moved to the back. Before the Meiji Restoration in 1868, all Japanese people wore kimonos. However, after the Meiji Restoration, men in the upper class began to wear suits, which are commonly known as "foreign clothes".

During the Great Kanto Earthquake in Japan in 1923, because women at that time still wore kimonos, they suffered misfortunes or suffered physical injuries due to difficulty in movement. After that, Japanese women gradually changed to wearing skirts or other clothing. However, kimono is still the favorite of Japanese people today. Whether it is on major occasions such as festivals, graduation ceremonies, weddings, funerals, or "Seven-Five-Three" celebrations for children, people wearing traditional kimonos can be seen everywhere.

The two sleeves of the kimono are knotted on the left shoulder and fixed with pins at the waist. The lower row of slits is a new design of sleeveless kimono. A straight-line kimono with three-dimensional wrinkles on the fabric. Wear a kimono over a long shirt and fasten the waist with pins, making the sleeves light and flowing when moving. Kimono is the traditional clothing of the Japanese nation. It was formed after more than 1,000 years of evolution based on the clothing of the Tang Dynasty in China. The Japanese express their sense of art vividly in their kimonos.

Kimono culture

Kimono, also known as "Kimono" in Japan. Kimono is Japan's traditional national costume. Because more than 90% of the Japanese population belongs to the "Yamato" ethnic group, it is named after it. In Japanese, it is also called "clothing". In addition to keeping warm and protecting the body, kimonos also have high artistic value. In particular, women's kimonos are colorful and beautiful in style, and are equipped with beautiful wide belts at the waist. They are simply a work of art.

Because this kind of clothing is more suitable for the Japanese body shape and climate, it has become a favorite national costume of the Japanese. There is such a custom in Japanese families: every time a girl reaches the age of 3 or 7, her parents and relatives will give her a "blessing kimono"; and on "Girls' Day" on March 3 and May 5 On "Boys' Day", which falls on October 5th, among the gifts given by adults to children, kimonos are the most precious gifts.

There are many types and styles of kimonos, regardless of color, texture and style, and they have changed in countless ways over the past thousands of years. The colors of men's kimonos are relatively simple, mostly dark, often in tan, dark blue and black. Generally, the family logo is hung on both sides of the chest, which is called the family crest. Women's kimonos are colorful and colorful, with wide belts and various types and styles. When wearing a kimono, you usually wear a waistband and a close-fitting petticoat on the inside first, then a close-fitting undershirt, and then wear kimonos of different colors on the outside. . You must also wear cloth socks and wooden clogs or straw sandals. At the same time, your hair must be combed into a bun. Leave a long white jade neck. The kimono's exquisite weaving, dyeing and embroidery make it a work of art.

The fabric of kimono was generally made of cotton in the past, but now it is all made of silk, and a small amount of wool is also used. Summer kimonos are generally made of leno fabric, with only one layer; winter kimonos are made of heavy "mome" silk material. Kimonos generally have three layers, the first layer is fabric, the second layer is lining, and the third layer is underwear. These 3 layers are all hand-sewn with white thread. The high-end kimono fabrics are all hand-embroidered and hand-painted, and the production is very delicate, so the price is very expensive. A simple kimono costs 180,000 yen, and a kimono for a wedding can easily cost millions of yen. Some even cost tens of millions of yen.

The color taboos of kimonos

The book "Chinese Folk Taboos" once classified the colors of clothing into: taboo on noble colors, taboo on cheap colors, taboo on evil colors, and taboo on gorgeous colors. "Book of Rites" records that Tianzhan clothing has different colors due to different seasons. According to the yin and yang and the five elements of the season, it is divided into five colors: green, red, yellow, white and black. In the fourth year of Zhenguan, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty decided on the color of the court uniforms of all officials, with purple in front of the vermilion: the third rank and above wear purple; the fourth and fifth rank wear scarlet; the sixth rank wears dark green; the seventh rank wears dark green.

Light green; eighth grade dark green; ninth grade light green. It can be said that the color taboos in Japanese history are similar to these to varying degrees.

In the eleventh year of the reign of the Japanese monarch (605), Prince Shotoku promulgated the twelve ranks of crowns, and crowns were used according to rank. From top to bottom are virtue (purple), benevolence (green), propriety (red), faith (yellow), righteousness (white), and wisdom (black). These six colors and crown positions are further subdivided into two categories, large and small, up to twelve levels.

In Japanese history, orange, crimson, cyan, and dark purple were designated as the colors for the ceremonial clothes of the Crown Prince, the Supreme Emperor, the Japanese monarch, and the prince respectively, and the use of them by others was restricted. In particular, dark red and dark purple were not allowed to be used by people other than the royal family. This rule lasted until 1945.

On the murals of the Takamatsuzuka Tumulus in Japan, in addition to portraits of men and women in Tang suits, there are also drawings of Qinglong, Suzaku, White Tiger, and Xuanwu (black turtle) as the guardian gods of the four directions. To this day, when wearing kimono in some places in Japan, white and red are generally not used unless it is a solemn ceremony. Because white represents holiness and purity; red symbolizes magic.

Characteristics of kimono

When making kimono, it is less affected by the body shape of the person. People with different heights, short, fat and thin rarely give people the same size even if they wear kimono of the same size. The impression of ill-fitting clothes. Because, it can be adjusted in size around the waist depending on the individual. Although the kimono is basically composed of straight lines that intersect the body in a straight shape and lacks the display of human body curves, it can show solemnity, stability, and tranquility, which is in line with the temperament of the Japanese. Not only that, the kimono also conforms to the nature of Japan; most areas in Japan are warm and humid, so the breathability of the clothing is very important. Because the kimono is relatively loose, there are as many as eight "breathing holes" on the clothes, and the sleeves, lapel, and train of the kimono can be opened and closed freely, so it is very suitable for Japan's customs and climate. Various kimonos have "big similarities" and "little differences" in styles and ways of wearing them. It is these "little differences" that have an important function of clothing: showing identity, age, and social class to which they belong. Taking women's kimonos as an example, this "little difference" is mainly reflected in the sleeves. The sleeves of kimono are roughly divided into "black sleeves", "color sleeves", "hon furisode", "naka furisode", etc. The so-called "sleeve retention" means that the sleeves are relatively short. "Kurotome" kimono is often decorated with exquisite patterns. It is a dress for middle-aged women and is generally worn on more solemn and solemn occasions, such as weddings and banquets. "Shiro-tonusode" is a kimono that comes in various colors. The wearer is younger than the person who wears "black tomsode". It is also a dress worn on solemn occasions. "Furisode" is a traditional costume for unmarried young Japanese women. It is relatively luxurious and is generally only worn during celebrations, graduations, and New Years (today, few people wear this kind of kimono even at such times). The so-called "furisode" refers to long sleeves, often about 1 meter long and hanging down to the ankles. In addition, there is a kind of kimono called "colorless land", which is worn in daily life. "Colorless Land" has no patterns, but colors.

Ventilation is a major advantage and feature of the kimono, so the cuffs, placket, and train of the kimono can be opened and closed freely. However, this kind of opening and closing, especially the opening and closing of the skirt, has a lot to pay attention to. Different openings and closings have different meanings and show the wearer's different identities. For example, when an artist wears a kimono, the skirt is always open and the belt is tied only at the "V" intersection of the skirt. This way of wearing not only gives people the feeling of taking off the kimono but not taking it off, showing a kind of implicit beauty, but also can show the identity of women engaged in this profession. On the other hand, if a woman who is not engaged in this profession wears a kimono, she must close the skirt. But even if the shirt is closed, the degree to which it is closed is also particular, and it shows the wearer's marital status: if she is a married woman, the shirt does not have to be closed entirely, and the area near the neck can be left open. But if she is an unmarried girl, she must close her clothes. ;