Kimono Truth

> THE KIMONO, JAPAN'S TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT HAS EVOLVED WELL OVER 1000 YEARS AND IS ADMIRED WORLDWIDE FOR ITS UNIQUE AESTHETIC AND INTRICATE PATTERNS.

YET, MUCH ABOUT IT REMAINS A MYSTERY.

WE ARE IN KYOTO CITY, THE FORMER CAPITOL OF JAPAN AND THE CENTER OF TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CULTURE.

IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE PEOPLE GOING OUT AND COME ON OUT.

WHAT IMPRESSION DO FOREIGN VISITORS HAVE?

LET'S FIND OUT.

HAVE YOU WORN A KIMONO YET?

YESTERDAY.

WHAT DID YOU THINK?

IT WAS NICE.

IT FELT VERY FORMAL, VERY NICE.

WE REALLY LIKED IT.

IT IS TRADITIONAL, HAS SOME FLOWERS ON IT.

SOMETIMES THE SLEEVE LENGTH.

SLEEVES OF SOME KIMONOS SO LONG?

WE PRESENT OUR QUESTION TO A KIMONO COORDINATOR ACTIVELY WORKING TO PROMOTE THE TRADITIONAL GARMENT.

THIS IS CALLED A FURISODE.

THE SLEEVES ARE ABOUT ONE METER LONG.

FURISODE LITERALLY TRANSLATES AS SWINGING SLEEVES.

THIS KIMONO STYLE IS CHARACTERIZED BY SLEEVES THAT ARE TYPICALLY TWICE AS LONG AS THAT OF A REGULAR KIMONO.

FURISODE WITH LONG SLEEVES LIKE THIS ARE TRADITIONALLY WORN BY UNMARRIED WOMEN AND ARE THE MOST FORMAL ATTIRE.

MARRIED WOMEN ON THE OTHER HAND WILL NOT WEAR FURISODE AND WILL INSTEAD WEAR A KIMONO WITH SHORTER SLEEVES.

TODAY THE FURISODE IS MAINLY WORN BY YOUNG, UNMARRIED WOMEN FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS LIKE COMING-OF-AGE CEREMONIES AND WEDDING.

BUT WHEN AND HOW DID IT BECOME THIS WAY?

TO FIND OUT, WE MEET AND EXPERT ON KIMONO HISTORY.

THERE APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN THAT SORT OF CUSTOM DURING THE EDO PERIOD.

IN THOSE DAYS PEOPLE EXPRESSED THEIR STATUS WITH MAKEUP OR ADDRESS.

THE FURISODE WAS ONE SUCH INDICATOR.

IT IS SET TO ORIGINATE FROM THE KIMONO ONE BY BOTH SEXES DURING THE MIDDLE AGES.

WHILE THE SLEEVES OF KIMONO FOR ADULTS WAS SECURELY SORE -- SWORN ON THE PIECE THE UNDER SECTION OF A CHILD'S KIMONO WAS LEFT OPEN SO A COURT COULD BE PASSED THROUGH IN PLACE OF THE OBI BELT.

AS SUCH THE SLEEVES WERE LOOSE.

THIS PAINTING IS OF THE KYOTO CITYSCAPE DURING THE 17th CENTURY OF THE EARLY EDO PERIOD.

IN IT, YOUNG WOMEN CAN BE SEEN WEARING FURISODE WITH MODERATELY LONG SLEEVES.

THE SLEEVES WERE NOT THAT LONG TO START WITH.

THEY STARTED OFF SHORT, BUT THEN APPEAR TO HAVE GRADUALLY BECAME LONGER AND LONGER.

AS PEOPLE SOUGHT TO MAKE THEM MORE GLAMOROUS.

THIS PRINT IS FROM THE 18th CENTURY OF THE LATE EDO PERIOD.

THEY FREQUENTLY DEPICTED THE FASHION ICONS OF THE DAY.

THIS ONE FEATURES TWO WOMEN WITH TRAILING SLEEVES.

YOUNG WOMEN OF THE TIME WHAT RUSHED IT EMULATE THE STYLE, SPARKING A FASHION TREND.

THE TREND STUCK AND THE FURISODE BECAME THE THING TO WEAR FOR YOUNG, UNMARRIED WOMEN.

THE STYLE IS SET TO HAVE BEEN POPULARIZED BY STAGE PERFORMANCE.

WHAT LED THEM TO LENGTHEN THE SLEEVES IN THE FIRST PLACE?

WE VISIT A PLACE WHERE YOU CAN STILL SEE TRADITIONAL DANCES PERFORMED IN A FURISODE.

HELLO.

WELCOME.

THIS IS A TEAHOUSE KYOTO.

TEAHOUSES ARE AWARE THEY ENTERTAIN GUESTS WITH DANCE.

THEY WHERE FURISODE TO INDICATE THEIR YOUTHFUL STATUS.

WE PAID CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE SLEEVES AS SHE PERFORMS THE DANCE.

THIS IS A CLASSIC NUMBER.

IT IS ABOUT THE CHANGING SEASONS AND SECRET LONGING.

IT IS CLEAR THAT THE SLEEVES ARE USED FOR DRAMATIC EFFECT.

.

THAT WAS WONDERFUL.

THANK YOU.

IT WAS VERY ELEGANT AND INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THE SLEEVES AND KIMONO PLATES SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART.

TO BE SURE.

LIKE AT A PART, SECRET DESIRE.

SHE HOLDS THEM UP IN THIS HOSE.

AS IF TO HIDE HERSELF.

IT IS MORE ACUTE POSE TO SHOW SHE IS CONCEALING HER FEELINGS.

THE SLEEVES ARE USED AS PROPS TO ACT OUT THE UNSPOKEN VISIONS DESCRIBED IN THE LYRICS.

THEN THERE IS THIS MOVE TO EXPRESS BASHFUL MISS.

A BIT DEMURE.

THIS IS EXPRESSED BY TOYING WITH HER SLEEVE.

HERE THE LYRICS ARE ABOUT TIME SPENT WITH HER BELOVED LATE INTO THE NIGHT.

IT TURNS OUT THE FURISODE SLEEVES ARE USED TO ADD A LAYER OF ELEGANCE AND EXPRESS A RANGE OF EMOTIONS.

IN FACT, SLEEVES ARE USED IN MANY JAPANESE IDIOMS.

THE EXPRESSION DESCRIBES BEGGING FOR PITY.

WE HAVE MANY SLEEP-RELATED EXPRESSIONS.

THIS SUGGESTS THAT THE JAPANESE HAVE LONG HAD A UNIQUE SENSIBILITY REGARDING SLEEVES.

THE EVOLUTION COULD VERY WELL HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE PLACED ON THEM.

THAT IS FASCINATING.

THE WORD KIMONO COVERS A WIDE VARIETY OF STYLES.

THE ONE SEEN MOST OFTEN TODAY IS THE YUKATA.

THEY ARE COMMONLY LAID OUT AT HOT SPRINGS FOR GUEST TO LOUNGE AND ARE AN EXCELLENT WAY TO SAVOR THEY EXPERIENCE.

IS THIS A YUKATA OR A KIMONO?

YUKATA.

CAN MOST PEOPLE FROM VIETNAM TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

I THINK WE CAN TELL THAT THEY ARE DIFFERENT, BUT I DO NOT THINK WE CAN EXPLAIN WHY.

RIGHT.

IT REMAINS A FAMILIAR GARMENT IN JAPAN.

BUT HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM A REGULAR KIMONO?

WE ASK KIMONO COORDINATOR UESUGI WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE.

THIS IS A YUKATA.

OKAY.

CAN YOU TELL THE DIFFERENCE?

THE BELT IS A BIT SMALLER.

IT IS THE INNER COLLAR.

EXACTLY.

THAT IS THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE.

THIS GOES OUT OF HER AND UNDERGARMENT.

THE YUKATA CALLER STANDS ALONE.

THE DIFFERENCE STARTS WITH HOW THEY ARE WORN.

THE KIMONO IS ONE OVER AND UNDERGARMENT THE KIMONO IS ARRANGED SO THE COLOR SHOWS.

THE YUKATA IS WORN DIRECTLY ON THE SKIN.

THIS IS BECAUSE IT IS A SUMMER GARMENT.

THE YUKATA IS WARNING SUMMER SO IT IS GENERALLY MADE WITH COTTON .

THAT WAY IT CAN BE WASHED FREQUENTLY.

THE ADVANTAGES OF A YUKATA I THAT IT IS LIGHT AND YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT SWEATING IN IT.

INTERESTINGLY IT ORIGINALLY SERVED A VERY DIFFERENT FUNCTION.

THE WORD YUKATA IS SAID TO COME FROM THE WORD YUKATABIRA.

IT WAS MEANT TO BE ONE IN THE BATH.

AND THOSE WAY DAYS THE BATH WAS MORE LIKE A SAUNA.

IT WAS 12 PROTECT THEIR SKIN FROM THE STEAM.

OVER TIME, THE NAME WAS SHORTENED TO YUKATA.

THE YUKATA'S ROLE CHANGED DURING THE EDO PERIOD, SOME 400 YEARS AGO.

THE CUSTOM OF BATHING IN WATER WAS ESTABLISHED.

PUBLIC BATH HOUSES SPROUTED UP THROUGHOUT THE CAPITOL.

THE YUKATA WENT FROM SOMETHING BEING WORN IN THE BATH TO A ROBE WORN AFTER ONE.

IT WAS AND UNDERGARMENT TO ABSORB SWEAT.

THE HASSLE OF CHANGING OUT OF IT SEEMS TO HAVE LED PEOPLE TO WHERE IT OUTDOORS AS WELL.

THIS IS A PRINT FROM THE 18th CENTURY.

IT DEPICTS PEOPLE ENJOYING A FIREWORKS DISPLAY.

IN THIS WAY THE YUKATA EVOLVED FROM BEING ESSENTIALLY A BATHROBE TO A SUMMER GARMENT WORN IN PUBLIC.

THINK OF IT LIKE A T-SHIRT.

THE T-SHIRT STARTED OFF AS UNDERWEAR.

IT IS NOW COMPLETELY ACCEPTABLE TO WHERE IT WHILE OUT AND ABOUT.

IN THE SAME WAY, WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY AND UNDERGARMENT BECAME AN OUTER GARMENT.

THIS PATTERN HAS BEEN REPEATED COUNTLESS TIMES THROUGH HISTORY.

MAKES SENSE.

THE KIMONO VISUALLY STUNNING PATTERNS HAVE LED TO IT BEING CALLED A WEARABLE WORK OF ART.

IT'S PATTERNS ARE CREATED THROUGH WEAVING, EMBROIDERY, DYEING , OR A COMBINATION OF TECHNIQUES.

ONE OF THE MOST ICONIC IS SET TO BE YUZEN DYEING WHICH IS THE GREATEST RANGE OF DETAILED AND PICTORIAL DESIGNS POSSIBLE.

THIS WAS A RESULT OF LUXURY USE DURING THE EDO PERIOD AND THE CREATIVITY AROUND IT.

THE YUZEN DYEING METHOD ORIGINATED IN THE 17th CENTURY.

THIS WORKSHOP CONTINUES TO USE THE ORIGINAL HAND-DRAWN TECHNIQUE.

GOOD MORNING.

HELLO.

AND WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

SHOWING US AROUND IS A YUZEN ARTISAN WITH OVER 50 YEARS OF EX- VARIANCE.

SHE WALKS US THROUGH THE PRODUCTION PROCESS A CRUCIAL STEP IN HAND-DRAWN YUZEN .

THIS STARCH BASED PACE IS APPLIED TO THE OUTLINE OF THE DESIGN, PREVENTING THE DYE FROM BLEEDING INTO THE OTHER AREAS .

YOU ARE NOT JUST DRAWING LINES.

THE PASTE NEEDS TO PENETRATE AND HOLD THE FABRIC SO YOU DO APPLY A BIT OF PRESSURE AS YOU GO.

THEN, THERE'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE STRONG LINE AND A WEAK, WOBBLY ONE.

YOU WANT TO DRAW A STRONG, CONTINUOUS LINE.

THAT IS THE BEST.

THE DYE IS APPLIED IN A PROCESS .

BRUSHES OF VARYING SHAPES AND SIZES ARE USED TO APPLY IT DIRECT YOU TO THE.

ONCE IT IS SET, THE PASTE IS RINSED AWAY LEAVING A DELICATE WHITE OUTLINE DISTINCTIVE OF YUZEN DYEING .

USING THE PASTE AND BRUSHES, THEY ARE ABLE TO CREATE VIBRANT AND PICTURESQUE DESIGNS ON KIMONO.

THIS TECHNIQUE IS ASSOCIATED WITH A CERTAIN ARTISAN.

THE EDO PERIOD WAS A TIME OF PEACE DURING WHICH VARIOUS CULTURES FLOURISHED.

THE KIMONO HAD BECOME INCREASINGLY LUXURIOUS.

THIS IS A CATALOG FROM THE TIME.

IT INTRODUCES ELABORATE DESIGNS USING RICH EMBROIDERY WITH GOLD AND SILVER THREAD AND TIME- CONSUMING TIE-DYE PATTERNS.

LAVISHLY DECORATED KIMONO LIKE THESE BECAME POPULAR AMONGST THE WEALTHY MERCHANTS AND TOWNSPEOPLE.

THESE DISPLAYS OF WEALTH DID NOT SIT WELL WITH THE THEN SHOGUN WHO ISSUED A LUXURY BAN IT PROHIBITED THE LOWER CLASSES FROM WEARING KIMONO WITH GOLD OR SILVER EMBROIDERY OR ELABORATE TIE-DYE PATTERN.

PEOPLE BEMOANED THE RESTRICTIONS AND THE DAMPER THEY PLACED ON THEIR STYLE THIS PUBLIC SENTIMENT DID NOT GO UNNOTICED BY A POPULAR FAN PAINTER KNOWN FOR HIS CREATIVE DESIGNS.

HE BEGAN SEARCHING FOR WAYS TO APPLY HIS FAN DESIGNS TO KIMONO.

NEW DYEING TECHNIQUES WERE CONSTANTLY BEING INVENTED AT THE TIME.

IT IS BELIEVED THE DYEING TECHNIQUE USED FOR THIS WAS ONE OF THEM.

THIS IS EVERY CREATION OF A YUZEN DYED KIMONO FROM THE TIME.

ALTHOUGH IT IS NOT CLEAR EXACTLY HOW IT CAME ABOUT, WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT IT WAS COMBINED WITH NEW TECHNIQUES TO CREATE A REVOLUTIONARY STYLE.

BY USING SIMPLE MATERIALS LIKE PASTE AND DYE, THE ARTISANS FOUND A LOOPHOLE TO CREATE THE FINERY PEOPLE CRAVED.

SURE ENOUGH, THEY WERE AN INSTANT HIT.

THE TECHNIQUE BECAME TO BE CALLED YUZEN DYEING.

THE METHOD ENABLES THE USE OF MANY DIFFERENT COLORS.

IT ALLOWS FOR VERY DETAILED EXPRESSIONS.

THE KIMONO IS ESSENTIALLY A CANVAS.

YOU DRAW A DESIGN AS IF IT WERE A PAINTING.

IT TAKES INCREDIBLE TECHNIQUE LIKE THAT OF AN ARTIST.

THE TECHNIQUES ARE WHAT HAVE BEEN PASSED ON.

ONE TECHNIQUE REMAINS INDISPENSABLE TO CREATING PICTORIAL DESIGNS.

THAT, ONE SIDE OF THE BRUSH IS DIPPED IN DYE AND THE OTHER IN WATER TO SLOWLY DILUTE THE COLOR.

THE RESULT IS A BEAUTIFUL SHADING THAT GIVES IT A THREE- DIMENSIONAL APPEARANCE.

PRODUCING A STANDOUT DESIGN.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YUZEN DYEING ?

WHAT WHAT IT BE?

I GUESS THAT IT HAS SUCH A LONG HISTORY AND THE COLORS ARE BEAUTIFUL.

THE COLORS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN SPECTACULAR.

THE BRILLIANT USE OF COLOR IS A HALLMARK OF YUZEN DYEING .

SHE SAYS NO TWO SHADES ARE EXACTLY THE SAME.

SHE HAS WORKED WITH OVER 100,000 TO DATE.

THE DELICATE WHITE OUTLINES AND EXQUISITE SHADING CREATE DESIGNS THAT ARE IN EVERY SENSE WORKS OF ART.

THEY HAVE ENCHANTED PEOPLE BOTH THEN AND NOW.

HISTORY AND ARTISTRY ARE INTERWOVEN IN THE KIMONO WHICH HAS BEEN WORN IN ALL ITS ITERATIONS FOR OVER 1000 YEARS.

WE ASKED THE SPECIALIST ABOUT ITS APPEAL.

KIMONO ARE, OF COURSE, BEAUTIFUL WHEN WORN BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE DISPLAYED AND APPRECIATED AS ART.

IN ADDITION TO USING DYEING , THERE ARE ALSO OTHER TECHNIQUES LIKE TIE-DYE AND EMBROIDERY.

THERE IS AN IMPRESSIVE RANGE OF TECHNIQUES.

THEY CAN BE COMBINED TOGETHER TO CREATE NEW DESIGNS FOR EACH ERA.

THAT IS A REMARKABLE THING.

THE KIMONO IS AN ACCUMULATION OF THE WISDOM, SENSIBILITIES AND AESTHETICS OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THIS COUNTRY.

TO BE ABLE TO WHERE IT AND PASS IT ON TO OTHERS IS A REAL HONOR.

AFTER ALL WE HAVE LEARNED IT IS ONLY FITTING THAT I TRY WENT ON FOR MYSELF.

TODAY WE HAVE REALLY UNFOLDED THE HISTORY OF THE KIMONO.

THE KIMONO HAS EVOLVED WITH THE TIMES AND THE TRENDS.

WE SEE HOW IT IS THREADED WITH THE INGENUITY AND SKILLS OF THE ARTISANS THROUGH THE AGES MAKING THIS INTO A WEARABLE ART FORM.

THIS IS JAPANESE CULTURE.

THIS IS JAPANESE HISTORY.

THIS IS JAPANESE IDENTITY.

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