MINAKO’S INFLUENCES影響 I think I got kimono influences from my mother basically. I learnt how to wear kimono from her and she went to kimono sales events with me to give me advice. Also, I always ask her to do the maintenance on my kimono that I send to her in Akita, after I wear…

MIKA’S INFLUENCES影響 I don’t have many memories of kimono from my family. I remember the ceremonies for 7,5,3 coming of age and graduation, but on those occasions I wore rental kimono and I was dressed at the photographic studio. My first influence was probably becoming aware of my Japaneseness, when I was living in England….

LYNN YUKI’S INFLUENCES影響 My grandmother and my mother like kimono. My grandmother often wore it and also she would go to the local kimono store that she trusted in Hyogo prefecture, where she comes from, and have kimono made for my mother. I can wear those kimono because my mother and I are the same…

TOMOKO’S INFLUENCES影響 I go to the kimono school once or twice a month. At first, I went there to have my own time and space while caring for my mother. Seeing beautiful kimono made me feel fresh; the teachers were beautiful and looking like them came be my goal as I aged. I was surrounded…

KIKUKO’S INFLUENCES 影響 My grandmother was more of an influence on me than my own mother because she wore kimono all the time. Also, sometimes my mother and father were away when my father was transferred to another office, so I stayed at home with my grandparents during those times. The local kimono dyer from…

KAZUKO’S INFLUENCES影響 When I was in my 40’s, I was given many kimono from many people so I learnt kimono wearing again. I belonged to a volunteer group of reading English books to children at that time and we made a kimono circle with them. We learnt many things from an older member. The older…

MIEKO’S INFLUENCES影響 My mother wore kimono a lot, but actually I was more influenced by my mother-in-law after I got married. My mother-in-law really liked kimono and wore it all the time. I am also influenced by my interest in the tea ceremony. Although I wear casual kimono everyday, I’m not really very interested in…

I was influenced by my high-school friend first. Our taste was the same. We liked history, kimono, etc. We went to summer festivals in yukata together, and wore hakama at our graduation ceremony together. After graduating, we went to buy polyester kimono together. We searched the information about what we needed to buy on the…

MAKOTO’S INFLUENCES影響 When I was in kimono vocational school, I did not wear kimono in private. At that time, kimono was study, and not a fun thing for me. It was really difficult to find the place or occasion to go out to in kimono. When I started to work in kimono in Tokyo, I…

CHIKAKO’S INFLUENCES　影響 Learning kimono was really natural for me because my mother sometimes wore it, and was doing little jobs, selling it and also learning dressing. We always talked together about patterns or colours. I was also influenced by my teacher and she taught me Japanese dance too. I am still learning it. I have…

INFLUENCES 影響 Atsuko ( daughter ) : My mother (Kiyoko) was probably influenced by her own mother who was always in kimono and who not only sewed kimono, but also did unpicking, stretching and cleaning of the kimono in their garden. Kiyoko did not do this. However, she preferred to be in kimono most of…

INFLUENCES影響 I came to like tsumugi because of the influence of rakugo and a book of essays by a woman writer. I love to listen to rakugo and I go to the rakugo theater often. I think soft tsumugi matches the rakugo theater’s atmosphere better than elegant dyed kimono. I read a kimono essay book…