Japanese Gracefulness

In modern Tokyo which can be quite loud and shrill Kimonos seem to be a thing of the past. So you think. Then you see a young lady in her kimono in the crowded underground on her way to work or ladies in their graceful traditional attire at the theatre. More so in Kyoto. The kimono is still the dress for festive occasions. I adore kimonos and I took quite a series of kimono photos on the streets of Kyoto and Tokyo.  

I never tired of watching kimonos with their endless variations of elegant patterns and exquisitely attuned colours. Apart from the occasional kimono on the streets of the big cities I went to a fashion show at the Nishijin Textile Centre and to an exhibition at the Tokyo National Museum. I ended up at the market in Harajuku where you can find used kimonos for a modest price. So, I purchased one for my daughter. The seller even initiated me to the art of choosing the matching obi and putting on all that in the appropriate way.