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Standing amid the exotic kimono garments in Jan Fuller’s shop, you may suspect its front door is a “Twilight Zone” portal. One moment, you’re in Wabasha, Minn., strolling past Hardware Hank and Eagle Valley Chiropractic. The next, you’re in Kyoto, Japan, contemplating cherry blossoms. Yet Wabasha, known as an eagle sanctuary and setting for the 1993 movie, “Grumpy Old Men,” also is home to what’s likely the largest private retail collection of Japanese wedding kimono in the world. It’s like stocking Lake Wobegon with koi. “This is a place unique for Wabasha, Minn., but even for the world,” said Fuller, who added that even she sometimes wondered at her husband Richard’s claim of having an unparalleled collection. “I thought, ‘Can this be true?’ |
. (besides the story of the shop, article has lots of info on the wedding kimono, including the fact that their original costs run $10,000 to US$50,000 and higher and more originally -- there's also a nice video in the article) Minnesotans are truly lucky!