Kimono Demonstration

February 14th, Valentine's Day, I had an opportunity to demonstrate how to put on Kimono at my friend’s Valentine’s party. It was a wonderful party full of creative, beautiful and delicious food cooked with her secret recipe; love.

I love Kimonos, and I used to go to Kimono School when I was in Japan. Let me talk about a bit about the history of Kimonos. Deriving great influence from China and Korea, Japanese created the basic of what we call Kimonos today. It was called “Kosode”, and was a kind of undergarment which was worn under longer robes, the bottom part brushing the floor. It was at the end of the Muromachi Period that women started wearing “Kosode” without the robes, and very similar ones with today’s Kimonos appeared in Edo Period (1603-1867).

The sense of the season showing on the patterns of the Kimono, Sash (obi) and other accessories create a piece of art, and they demonstrate the intelligence and taste of the person wearing the Kimono. With practice, it takes only 5 to 10 minutes to put on Kimono with Taiko-obi, a type of decoration of sash, which shows in the photo.

Nowadays, kimonos are only worn as formal wear on special occasions such as New Year's, weddings and funerals in Japan.

I don’t have many opportunities to wear Kimonos in Canada, but I am hoping to demonstrate Kimonos again.


２月１４日（バレンタインデー）に、友人宅で着物の着方を披露する機会がありました。
私は着物が大好きで、日本にいた頃は着付け教室に通っていました。

着物の歴史は、中国や韓国からの影響を受けながら、平安時代（７９４−１１９２）にその基本（小袖と呼ばれる長いローブの下に着る下着のようなもの）が作られ、室町時代（１３３８−１５７３）の後期に単独で着られる小袖が完成したと言われています。江戸時代（１６０３−１８６７）に現在の着物とほとんど変らない形の小袖が生まれたそうです。

着物の季節感のある柄と帯や小物の色あわせに着る人のセンスがうかがわれます。着物を着慣れた人は、太鼓帯なら５分から１０分で着物の着用を完了できると思います。

近頃の日本では、お正月や結婚式やお葬式などの礼服として用いるほかは着物を着る機会が少なくなりました。

カナダでは着物を着る機会はほとんどありませんが, また着物をカナダの皆さんに見ていただいと思います。

February in Japan

Japanese schools start in April. February is the time for tests – there are tests for entering universities, colleges, high Schools, and also some private/national junior high schools this month. People tend to believe that having degrees from top universities lead to their future success, thus the entrance exams are quite competitive – people call this “jukenjigoku” (examination hell).

February the 3rd is called Setsubun, and this is the turning point from winter to spring on the lunar calendar. On this day, a bean-throwing is held to celebrate the coming of spring and drive away evil spirits. It maybe different depending on the districts, but Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, Toshiotoko (men who are born under the same zodiac sign as the current year) and Toshionna (women who are born under the same zodiac sign as the current year), at home the head of the house play a devil while other family members throw roasted soybeans shouting “Oni wa soto, fuku wa uchi” (Evil spirits outside, good luck within). People believe that if you ate the same number of beans as your age, you will stay healthy throughout the year.

February the 4th is called Risshun, which means the first day of spring. February is the coldest month of the year, but there are some areas where plum blossoms and daffodils start blooming. Because Japan lies between northern latitude of 24 degrees and 45 degrees, Okinawa in south may be 20℃, but Hokkaido in north may be only minus 3 degrees.

* Interested in teaching English in Japan?
Please visit www.irislinguistics.ca

日本の２月

日本の学校は４月に始まります。２月は受験シーズンで、大学や高校、私立や国立の中学に入る入学試験があります。日本では、いい大学に入ることが将来の成功につながるという考えから入学試験は競争が厳しく、受験地獄と言う言葉もあります。

２月３日は「節分」と呼ばれ、暦の上では冬と春とに分かれる日です。節分には鬼を追い払って新しい春をむかえるために豆まきをします。地方によって異なりますが、神社やお寺では年男と年女が豆まきを行い、家では家の主人が鬼となり、「鬼は外、福は内」と叫びながら豆まきをします。年齢と同じ数の豆を食べると健康な一年を送ることができると言われています。

２月４日は「立春」と呼ばれ春の初めを意味します。２月は一年で最も寒い月ですが、梅や水仙などの花が咲き始める地方もあります。日本は北緯２４度から北緯４５度までの南北に長い国ですから、南にある沖縄は摂氏２０度以上あっても、北の北海道ではマイナス３度しかないということになります。

＊日本で英語を教えることにご興味のある方は、
ホームページ　www.irislinguistics.ca　をご覧ください。

This is my very first blog.
I am celebrating myself for finally putting it up.

I started my small business on August 23, 2009.
Since then, I am learning a lot of new things about business, skills and people - especially I am still learning something new about myself.

I would like to believe that we all are living to become happy…
So, what is the happiness to me?
I would be happy if I can be a bit better than yesterday: helping at least one person a day, showing appreciation to others, smile more than yesterday, learn something new or do something I couldn’t do yesterday. Just do one thing better than yesterday–find something that I feel good about myself and praise myself for doing well.

Just do one thing better than yesterday…
Yes! I can do it!