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Blog: Vintage Japanese Kimono Culture News

New Showcase on YokoDana.com: Quilt Made Using Vintage Kasuri-Boro

March 03, 2022 Yoko Lewis

From time to time we get lovely emails and pictures from the many sorts of creative folks who buy our vintage Japanese kimonos and fabric pieces. The latest is from Lisa, a USA regular customer. Over a period of time she purchased pieces of our vintage fabrics, mostly kasuri and some boro, and then made a quilt from them. To see more pictures and learn more about her process in making this quilt, please visit her showcase page on our site HERE.


Look What Kimonos Were Worn on Seijin no Hi, Coming of Age Day 2022

January 25, 2022 Yoko Lewis

Coming of Age Day  (Seijin no Hi) comes every second Monday of January in Japan, so pictures of this year's new adults in kimono are coming in. Seijin no Hi is said to have been celebrated from the 8th Century CE in Japan, so It has a rich history. However, we’ve noticed some very interesting changes in recent years, with young Japanese experimenting with creative -- as well as non-traditional -- ways to wear their kimono and accessories on this day of their transition to adulthood. So, we thought we’d share some of these, particularly because of the striking differences seen in...


YokoDana Customer Showcase: Eco-Friendly Dyed Handmade Scarves

December 09, 2021 Yoko Lewis

Eco-Friendly Dyed Handmade Designer Scarves by Anne Boyd (USA) December 9, 2021: Announcing New Customer Showcase on yokodana.com: We are pleased to announce that we have added to our Customer Showcase section of our website. Anne Boyd from Delaware has shared with us pictures and information of some of her designer scarves.

DenDen Daiko: Japanese Kimono Cultural Information, Newborn's First Shrine Visit

June 17, 2021 Yoko Lewis

Japanese Kimono Culture: It is a long-standing tradition in Japan that soon after a baby is born they must be taken to the local Shrine (Shinto). The child is wrapped in a special garment and wrap, and -- at least in the old days when I was growing up -- a denden taiko was sewn to the baby's kimono and the infant was presented by parents for prayers at the Shrine. Explanation of deeper meanings, omote to ura, etc.....

Spring Parade of Kimono: University Graduates (TokyoBling Blog, 2012)

April 07, 2021 Yoko Lewis

 Interesting use of hakama....and boots! The college school year in Japan ends in March. We recently came across pictures of graduates from Nihon Daigaku (Japan University) in a blog from tokyobling.wordpress.com, from May, 2012. Thought our visitors might enjoy seeing how Japanese youth of today adapt their use of traditional kimono wear(kitsuke).(scroll down for more....)  Here's a brief excerpt from that blog: Posted in "Japanese Traditions, People, Places" by tokyobling on May 24, 2012: In March, the traditional month for all university graduations in Japan, I happened to be in Tokyo’s Kudanshita district, just near the Budokan in the Kitamaru...