Musashi Urawa Japanese Language Institute’s annual kimono event was held on May 28th this year, and both male and female students from China and Korea enjoyed the full-day lesson. It was a valuable cultural experience, with teachers from Kyoto’s Hakubi General Institute demonstrating the proper way to wear the traditional costume.
The men, formally dressed in crested haori hakama (long kimono coats over a divided skirt), proudly said that while the outfit was a little painful, they could handle it. The women looked stunning in the Japanese garment, and although a little embarrassed, they followed the teachers’ careful instructions and tried walking around the classroom. When the two groups joined together and everyone saw the transformation that had occurred, the room broke out into exclamations of how beautiful everyone was.
At the end, when everyone was dressed and posing in front of the school for pictures, one of the workers from the construction across the street came over to ask what the photo shoot was for. He thought we had hired models for a school brochure! Even some elementary school students who were walking by on a field trip stopped to take in the sight.
It was a fine May day, and I hope that the other students who saw the final product will join us next year to try for themselves.