This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.736
Dear ICHIROYA newsletter readers,
Hello, how are you doing? This is Mituse writing.
It's already March, and I feel spring smell from trees and flowers. March 3rd is the day called 'Hina-matsuri'(doll's festival), and we cerebrate girls wishing their wellness and growth. A set of 'Hina dolls' are displayed representing the Emperor, Empress, attendants, and musicians in traditional court dress of the Heian period(794-1192) with 'Momo' (peach blossom). The photo shows a traditional decoration displayed at a classical Japanese restaurant. Awesome!!
The end of January, I had a great experience! I attended aurora viewing tour with my friend in Yellow Knife, Northwest Territories of Canada. With three diamond mines, it is also known as the Diamond Capital of North America. Yellowknife is a small town of about 18,000 people located on the shore of Great Slave Lake. (46 times of Japanese largest Biwako lake)
We could enjoyed aurora every nights during the 4 days stay. We wore thick and heavy special jacket and pants, and put boots like a space suit.
At 10:00 pm, a tour bus picked us from our hotel for about 30 minutes drive to a mountain where the lights of town cannot reach. And we stayed in the mountain lodge until 3:00 am having hot drinks and snacks. The temperature of outside was down to -40 ℃ (-104F)! I've never experienced such a ever cold even in the skiing mountain. My eyelashes and fore hair were frozen and turned to white. My friend could see nothing with her frozen glasses. At daytime, an electric board on the street showed -21 ℃.
Aurora was sooooo splendid moving smoothly like a curtain, and sometimes it lighted lower sky which is full of stars. I was lying on snowed ground and the watching the panorama of the sky including shooting stars. I wanted to stay longer.
I also enjoyed Alaskan Husky Dog Sledding! The friendly dogs are well educated and they know the way we are heading for. A guide taught me how to control the sled, and I tried by myself for about 20 minutes. It was easy, or I'd better to say the smart dogs worked very well. Some people say the dogs are so pity, but I heard they are happy to run in cold field. When I said 'Thank you!' to the dogs, they seemed to want to run more.
Next I enjoyed fishing on the iced lake. During winter, cars and bus are running on the lake, but the speed is limited. A guide dug 2 holes on thick iced lake and put poles with net beneath the ice. When we pull up the net, fish came out and freeze instantly. That was amazing! Some are so big and heavy. After we backed to our cabin, a staff cooked them for us. Uuuum, delicious!
Today, I'd like to introduce you our items which show an image of aurora.
Houmongi
Furisode
Fukuro obi
Bolt
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.734
Furisode #401157 Kimono Flea Market Ichiroya
Dear Ichiroya Newsletter Readers,
Hi, this is Azusa writing. This is my first newsletter. I started working for Ichiroya
three months ago. The reason why I started this work is that I like kimonos, which is colorful and gorgeous. I usually wear jeans and T-shirts, but I've wanted to dress up in kimono in special events for many years. Therefore, I would like to write about myself and kimonos today.
I worn a kimono for the first time at Shichi-Go-San, a festival day for children of three, five and seven years of age. That is to celebrate the healthy growth of children. In the event, the children visit a shrine in a kimono. I was also dressed up in a red kimono but I didn't remember that day very much except for a very long stick candy called Chitose-Ame, which I had in my hand while walking a long distance.
I didn't have a chance to wear kimono after that until I enter an university. I joined a traditional Japanese music club and I started playing Japanese harp.
One day, we had a concert on campus, and I wore a kimono and hakama for that. The kimono was plain and a very simple design, but I was very glad to wear it. I did well at the concert, but I happened to have a Japanese literature class on the same day, and had to give a speech about the Tale of Genji, the classical literature written in the 11th century. I was very busy and didn't have time to change my clothes, so I had to give the speech in kimono. I'm sure that I looked way, way too enthusiastic about the speech in traditional costume.
The third time I wore a kimono is at Coming-of-Age Ceremony, which is to congratulate people who become 20. I wore my mother's Furisode kimono that has purple pattern on a white base, and attended the Ceremony. I was very delighted to wear it because the color of the Furisode is the same as the one that Lady Akashi wore in the Tale of Genji, and the color was said to be elegant. I said that I wanted to do my hair in Japanese style, that wasn't realized in the end though.
I hope you enjoy wearing gorgeous kimonos!
kimono
obi
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.733
Dear Ichiroya News Letter Readers,
How are you doing?
This is Iori Writing. I am a new at Ichiroya. I’ve been working at this company for three months. I was in totally different field before. So for me, every day is exciting and being surrounded by lots of attractive kimono, obi and and others is so much fun. I do like them and am wearing my kimono for a ceremony of my kid this spring!
Before I write today’s topic, let me introduce a little bit of myself.
I have three kids, 6 years old girl, 3 years old boy and 1 year old girl. They are little monsters and do something unimaginable to me every day, but I really enjoy the time with them.
I like to bake bread and make sweets. I used to work at a bakery and pastry shop so I went around lots of bakeries and pastries for studying. I and my girl sometime enjoy baking breads, cakes or cookies on a day off. As for the taste of the cakes anyway it is a lot of fun in the making process. :)
Well, let’s get down to the topic.
It is already February. Sometimes it is snowing here and I don't want to get out of the bed every morning.
In this cold season, I am looking for a day coming soon........ the 14th February.
Yes! It’s Valentine’s Day!!
As I mentioned, I like sweets. I loooooooooooove chocolates!!!!!
I heard that men give a card or flowers to women on that day in Europe and America. In Japan, women give chocolates to men. When I was a student, I bought some chocolates called ‘Giri choco’ which are the chocolates to give boys those I think they are good friends. Then I make chocolates or other sweets by myself to give it to the one I love. That was a common.
But now, I think a lot of women buy chocolates for themselves. Girls get or make chocolates called ‘Tomo choco’ which means ‘chocolates for friends’. They give chocolates to friends each other, not to boys.
I make some sweets to my husband but I buy chocolates as reward to myself, a little good ones ;)
So, I went to a department store last Sunday to get some chocolates for Valentine’s Day. You see how big event it is on
the top photo. Lots of people! They enjoy choosing chocolates. It is like an amusement park!
In this season, department stores have Valentine ’s Day fair. There are plenty of sweets shops ( over 90shops!), some of them are from Europe such as France, Belgium, Switzerland and so on.
So this is a big chance to get chocolates which I rarely get in Japan. It is just fun to look around.
I bought them to my kids. Aren't they cute!? I couldn't eat them! But they are gone in a moment!! Hahaha!!
Look at these beautiful chocolates! They were made by the famous pastry in Japan. Each one has different flavor. They put some fruits, green tea or Sake made in Japan in the chocolates with beautiful Japanese design.
These are for me, of course…:)
Well, I really enjoy the fair. I also like to read a paper that comes with chocolates. On the paper, each shop talks about their philosophy or their love to the products. After reading the paper, I ate those chocolates with feeling tasty even more.
Do you have any plans for Valentine’s day?
How about going out in Kimono?
I hope you will have a happy Valentine’s day with your loved ones.
Today, I would like to show you some Kimono, Obi and other items which are so KAWAII! I think they have Happy atmosphere!
Kimono
Obi
Other Items
Thank you for reading my first news letter!
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.732
Dear Newsletter readers,
Hello, this is Mari. We hope you enjoy our newsletter. This is my first newsletter in 2018.
I'll do my best to deliver more interesting topic to you!
Those who have received packages from Ichiroya may know that we put a small piece of kimono fabric in them. Some are textured tsumugi silk, some has shibori pattern on them, some are shinny smooth silk. All of them are silk. We put them as a small gift to our customers. Also, we would like to introduce many different types of kimono silk to you. We hope you like them.
Small pieces (remnant) can be very charming material, of course using nice part of old kimono or bolts can be a lot of fun, even though they ave some flaw.
We have received some pictures from our customers who use those small pieces of kimono silk as materials of their hand craft.
Ms. R in Australia uses the fabric to add exotic feeling to the black shirts. NICE!
Ms. B in Nagoya, Japan makes a vest using the small pieces of fabric. Look how colorful her vest is!
I believe that there are more people using those kimono fabrics in different ways.
We are glad to know that they did not end up in the trash!
If you like Japanese kimono fabric, and thinking about using it for something, we have some interesting fabrics. Please check!
Kimono pattern sample bolt
続きを読む
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA'Heres News Letter No.731
by Naomi Matsuo
Hello from Yuka. Today I would like to introduce my new friend Naomi san, who is a katazome (stencil) dyer.
I met her at Akemi san's vintage kimono collection exhibition last year in Nagasaki.
Akemi san is now a shop owner of vintage kimono! She made her dream come true and her store has opened last December.) The name of the store is Beppin (which means very special one!).
You should visit her store if you come to Nagasaki-her store is the only one vintage kimono shop in Nagasaki and her kimono collection is superb! I am sure you enjoy visiting her store.
(Here is the past newsletter about her exhibition:
Now back to Naomisan.
Naomi san was helping Akemisan at the exhibition. She was wearing an elegant blue kimono at that time. I wish I had a photo of her in kimono but I do not. Anyway, she was so elegant and to my surprise, she said she dyed her kimono, obi and also zori !
She was busy helping Akemisan's presentation of the exhibited kimono, so I could not talk that much with her.
As we already mentioning many times, we are going to NY for the exhibition of haori lining collection in this coming March:
I was thinking what to wear (Ichiro has a nice set of kimono and hakama now!)and I was at a loss. I remembered the obi Akemisan was wearing a lovely obi with her store logo.
Akemisan kindly contacted Naomisan for me and I could meet Naomi san again.
She is humble and never show off her work but Akemisan told me she won a prize from the mayor of Nagasaki for her dye work. The kimono on top of this article is her work which won the prize.
She is an artist and also having many classes teaching katazome. `Dyer may sound very special' she says but she just likes katazome and wish people to know it is so much fun.
She says `I like to dye anything, not only kimono but ANYTHING!'. She says she is not like an artisan in Kyoto. I asked her to dye Ichiroya logo ( I imitated Akemi san)on my obi.
You can see Akemi san wearing a black obi with the logo of her store `Beppin'.
It is their (Akemi san and Naomi san) idea to use black obi. Many people have funeral black obi at home and not used in many case. By applying katazome, the obi becomes another obi, not funeral obi!
Here are her other work:
This is Naomi san(she is shy!)
She is adding dye work to old kimono or obi with stains to make them wearable again.
Take a look at her wonderful work!
Before and after----can you see the moon?
Before and after----
Before
After
See? She has made many obi and kimono beautiful to be worn again!
I am so looking forward to see my obi ! It will be finished in February. I will be happy to show the obi in our future newsletter.
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.730
Konnichiwa! everyone!
This is Yoko writing this week's Newsletter. Ogenki desuka?
How is your start of the New Year? So far, mine seems great! Haha!
As Nagisa mentioned, it is the year of the dog! Yes, my beagle Marin gets the spot light this year. :)
Today, I would like to write about Omikuji.
Omikuji is a fortune telling paper, and you can purchase it at any shrine or temple for 100yen or 200yen.
So, every year after our Hatsumoude, visit to a shrine, we test our luck for the New Year by purchasing 'Omikuji'.
After you pay, you shake a large wooden container, inside there are long thin sticks with a number written.
One stick comes out from a tiny hole at top of the container, and you read a number to Miko san, female attendant.
She takes out a long strip of paper....... from a drawer with the number written....
OK this is a part you get so nervous.....
You hope for a good fortune, but purchasing Omikuji also means it may result bad!
You do not want to check the fortune right there in front of Miko san, what IF it is bad....
that would be quite odd... to see the face on Miko san... so, I recommend that you quietly fold the paper and walk away....
I tell you what mine was later on....
The Omikuji ranks in 12 scales. (from Wikipedia)
Great blessing (dai-kichi, 大吉)
Middle blessing (cho-kichi, 中吉)
Small blessing (sho-kichi, 小吉)
Blessing (kichi, 吉)
Half-blessing (han-kichi, 半吉)
Ending blessing (sue-kichi, 末吉)
Ending small blessing (sue-sho-kichi, 末小吉)
Curse (kyo, 凶)
Small curse (sho-kyo, 小凶)
Half-curse (han-kyo, 半凶)
Ending curse (sue-kyo, 末凶)
Great curse (dai-kyo, 大凶)
You do not find many curse ones, I think Omikuji are mainly Daikichi to Curse. Curse.... that is an uncomfortable word...
On each paper, it lists fortunes regarding specific aspects of one's life in below categories.
方角 (hogaku) - auspicious/inauspicious directions (like feng shui)
願事 (negaigoto) one's wish or desire
待人 (machibito) a person being waited for
失せ物 (usemono) lost article(s)
旅立ち (tabidachi) travel
商い (akinai) business dealings
学問 (gakumon) studies or learning
相場 (souba) market speculation
争事 (arasoigoto) disputes
恋愛 (renai) romantic relationships
転居 (tenkyo) moving or changing residence
出産 (shussan) childbirth, delivery
病気 (byoki) illness
縁談 (endan) marriage proposal or engagement
I think most people only read Gakumon and Machibito or Endan. Hahaha
It is funny because the result can be really straight forward and says 'it never come true stop waiting' or 'what you lost will be kept lost' and so on.
Please try Omikuji if you have a chance to visit a shrine or temple in Japan. It may be fun translating it to English.
Well, for me, this year's fortune is Daikichi!!! yaaaayyy!
You see that is why I am having a great start of the New Year!
Minasan, may the new year bring a lot of happiness and smiles!
Here are some items with auspicious motifs which might bring a good luck!!!
Sho-chiku-bai
Lobster
Takasago
Thanks for reading!
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.729
(newly listed antique reprint obi `bird & peony')
Dear Ichiroya newsletter readers,
Hi! This is Nagisa from Ichiroya. This is my first newsletter in 2018. Happy New Year! This year is the year of the Dog in "Eto" which is the 12 zodiac sign. Today, I'd like to introduce you wonderful dog design items! U^ｪ^U
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"Eto" is originally Chinese astrology to indicate time or direction. It was connected with 12 animals, and was spread to many countries in Asia through the Silk Road. However, these 12 animals are different in each countries. Japanese "Eto" animals are Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Ram, Monkey, Cock, Dog and Boar. OK, OK, you have a question, right? Why isn't a cat here? Even though they're so cute! There is an interesting episode.
Once upon a time, God said to animals 'Let's race guys, come here on the New Year's Day. I do the thing which came by the twelfth from the first to the general of the animal by turns for one year' However, a Cat didn't know when is the date, so the Cat asked a Rat 'When should I go?' Then, the Rat lied to the Cat 'The second day of the year.' In this way, the Cat was deceived by the Rat, and couldn't reach the top 12 of the race. So that, cat has been left out Japanese "Eto" animals. Also, that's why cat chasing mouse like Tom and Jerry.
By the way, I went to the university I graduated from to watch Christmas illumination last month after a long absence. My university was designed by William Merrell Vories with Spanish Mission Style, and it's famous for its beautifulness. Especially, the Clock Tower is our school's symbol. Look! The college mascot 'Soraran' also has the Clock Tower on his head! Anyway, there are always lots of students, professors and neighbors during the daytime, but it was silent and the air was cold and fresh at that night. The Christmas illumination was also so fascinating! I was really impressed with calm atmosphere which I can never find in the city. Incidentally, everyone calls the illumination 'the shining school fees'.
Thank you for reading till the end! See you next time!
