P7+Kimono


 * Dress and Appearance: Kimono **

**By: Charlotte W. and Jonathan K. **

In Japan, the appearance of one’s form was very important, resulting in extensive care of the body. The people would spend hours preparing for the day, and they would change their outfits multiple times during the daylight hours. Also, accessories were very important in this time period, as well as make-up. In the following paragraphs, the appearance of everything from court nobles to samurai will be explained.

The people of the court, called court nobles, were often considered soft and delicate. These people, sometimes called “the people who lived above the clouds”, lived an easy and luxurious life. To make themselves look as pretty and attractive as possible, these people did a variety of things. The woman would shave their eyebrows and paint heavier ones high on their forehead. Also, due to the aspect of white teeth seeming glaring and hideous, the teeth on both woman and men were blackened. On the topic of hair, both the woman and men would care for it particularly. The men would have tiny beards on the tips of their chins and no other hair. The woman, however, grew out their hair as long as possible, and they also blackened it. Finally, their makeup consisted of powdering their faces. With their powdered faces and blackened teeth, these people became the trendsetters of Japan.

During around the 19th century, tattoos in Japan reached their peak. People thought of them as artistic pictures, resulting in colorful and elaborate designs covering an extensive portion of the average Japanese person’s body. Since, during this time, great skill was needed, a market that specialized in tattoos was created. Another accessory that excelled during this time period was the fan. Fans were used for a variety of things, including ceremonies and as personal accessories. Ogi, the folding fans, were status symbols. The ogi were used in an assortment of settings, including theatrical performances and tea ceremonies. These accessories, added on to the carefully touched appearances, made the people of Japan even more fashionable.

Miyabi, the code of courtly manners, is related to the dress and appearance of the Japanese for many reasons. One of them, saying that people must wear elaborate clothing and make-up, has to do with this topic for a variety of reasons. One reason is because this topic is all about the appearance of the Japanese. This rule is saying that everyone must be dressed as extravagant and decorative as possible. Although these rules are all about appearance, they are not all about the appearance of one’s body. For example, one of the rules is saying that letters must be folded properly. This has to do with the topic, because it is about appearance, but it is about the appearance of letters, not of one’s body. As you can see, the Miyabi related to the dress and appearance of people in numerous ways.

There are multiple types of kimonos. A coverlet in kimono form was called a yogi. Yogis were decorated using rice paste as a resist to block. The sleeves of the kimono indicated the age and status of a woman. The color, fabric, and decorations of a kimono varied according to the wearer’s age, sex, marriage status, the season of the year, and the occasion for which the kimono is worn. A young unmarried woman would wear a furisode, a colorful kimono with flowing sleeves sometimes hanging all the way down to their ankles, while a married woman would wear a kimono with short sleeves, only hanging down a little. The kimono, the traditional garment of Japan, has changed a lot from one period of Japan’s history to another. Today, there are many different types of kimono worn by men, women, and children. On page thirteen, in the book The Ghost in the Tokaido Inn, there is a passage about kimonos. “Seiki quickly slipped off his travel-kimono and put on the one his mother had told him to wear when meeting customers.” This shows an example of a Japanese boy wearing different styles kimonos. To wrap things all together, kimonos were worn by the majority of Japan’s population, and there are many different types of kimonos.

The coat, called the hanten in Japanese, was worn by merchants and farmers as an outfit. As a merchant became wealthier, the textiles on their outfit replicated the one’s worn by elites more. A farmer’s coat has narrow sleeves, for working in the field. The kimono and the coat are quite similar. The difference is the coat is shorter than the kimono, but the construction is very similar. In finale, the coat was worn by only two classes of people, but it was admired greatly.

The Samurai were expected to set an example to the lower classes by the dignity of their appearance. Samurai whose age was about forty or fifty years old would do a numerous amount of things to prepare for the day. They would bathe, shave their foreheads, and put lotion in their hair. They would also cut their fingernails and toenails, rubbing them with pumice and wood sorrel. When a Samurai was out of armor, he would wear fine clothing of traditional designs. As a samurai, tight breeches were considered informal. In conclusion, samurai would pay close attention to their appearance.

To tie things together, the dress and appearance of one was considered greatly. One, by the clothes worn, could be judged, and their status could be determined.

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-Deal, William E. Handbook to Life in Medieval and Early Modern Japan. New York: Facts on File, inc. 2006.

-Dersin, Denise, Ed. What Life Was Like Among Samurai and Shoguns. Alexandria, VA: Time-Life Inc., 1999.

-“Kimono.” http://www.japanesestyle.com/catalog/clothingaccessories/kimonos. [Feb 21, 2011]. Web.

-“Kimono Hypertext: A Woman's Kimono.” http://web.mit.edu/jpnet/kimono/kimono-woman.html. [Feb. 21, 2011]. Web.

-Loudon, Sarah. "Instructional Resources: Wearable Arts of Japan Seattle Art Museum." Art Education. Vol. 49. Nov 1996: 25-32. JSTOR.Cary Academy Library, Cary, NC. 27 March 2009 []

-Shutterstock Images LLC. “Clouds.” Shutterstock Images LLC.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif; font-size: 110%;">-Shutterstock Images LLC. “Samurai.” Shutterstock Images LLC. 2011. Web. 21 Feb. 2011.

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