Kimono World
Yesterday I drove with three friends to Pateley Bridge to attend Kimono World, a show put on by ten women from Japan. The show is a basic introduction to some popular elements of Japanese culture. The show was scheduled to open with a koto music performance but the koto musician had to leave her instrument behind in Tokyo. It did not meet the weight restrictions at Narita airport. As a last-minute substitute the kimono-clad women sang a chorus from a traditional Japanese folk song. After the folk song, the ladies solicited volunteers from the audience to model kimono. While most of the volunteers were whisked backstage, one young woman from the audience stood center stage while Emiko Kajino, the group's leader, dressed her in a beautiful semi-formal kimono. It was amazing how many layers of clothing and straps and sashes went into one outfit. The process is so complicated, it seems impossible for one person to dress herself in a kimono. But Emiko assured us that it only takes her 10 or 15 minutes to accomplish the task on her own. Next, a male volunteer was dressed in a formal kimono. The men's kimono seemed less complicated than that of a woman. The show included demonstrations of brush writing (shodo), flower arranging (ikebana) and a performance of a mask dance. The grand finale was a "kimono parade". All the volunteers who had disappeared backstage came out to model various kimono styles ranging from casual summer yukata, to formal kimono, to a bridal kimono. As a final gesture of hospitality, the women of Kimono World invited each member of the audience to take home a colorful origami creation. The Kimono World troupe had fashioned the origami while flying to England from Tokyo. The show was well received by the audience in the nearly full Pateley Playhouse. As for me, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia for the time Brad and I lived in Tokyo. The women of Kimono World, with their elegant manners, sweet demeanor and ardent wish to represent their culture reminded me of many of the reasons why I loved living in Japan.
Yesterday I drove with three friends to Pateley Bridge to attend Kimono World, a show put on by ten women from Japan. The show is a basic introduction to some popular elements of Japanese culture. The show was scheduled to open with a koto music performance but the koto musician had to leave her instrument behind in Tokyo. It did not meet the weight restrictions at Narita airport. As a last-minute substitute the kimono-clad women sang a chorus from a traditional Japanese folk song. After the folk song, the ladies solicited volunteers from the audience to model kimono. While most of the volunteers were whisked backstage, one young woman from the audience stood center stage while Emiko Kajino, the group's leader, dressed her in a beautiful semi-formal kimono. It was amazing how many layers of clothing and straps and sashes went into one outfit. The process is so complicated, it seems impossible for one person to dress herself in a kimono. But Emiko assured us that it only takes her 10 or 15 minutes to accomplish the task on her own. Next, a male volunteer was dressed in a formal kimono. The men's kimono seemed less complicated than that of a woman. The show included demonstrations of brush writing (shodo), flower arranging (ikebana) and a performance of a mask dance. The grand finale was a "kimono parade". All the volunteers who had disappeared backstage came out to model various kimono styles ranging from casual summer yukata, to formal kimono, to a bridal kimono. As a final gesture of hospitality, the women of Kimono World invited each member of the audience to take home a colorful origami creation. The Kimono World troupe had fashioned the origami while flying to England from Tokyo. The show was well received by the audience in the nearly full Pateley Playhouse. As for me, I was overwhelmed with nostalgia for the time Brad and I lived in Tokyo. The women of Kimono World, with their elegant manners, sweet demeanor and ardent wish to represent their culture reminded me of many of the reasons why I loved living in Japan.
posted by lenora at 11:11 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home