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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.786

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Takayuki Miki | Flickr

Dear news letter readers.
Hi, how are you? This is Azusa writing.

When I noticed it, March has already come.
It always seems to me that February starts before I realize it starts, and ends before I realize it ends. I even feel like it's still January. It has been a little warmer here, though.

Speaking of March, we have Hina-matsuri, the girls' festival, on March 3rd in Japan.
Every year families with girls celebrate the festival displaying Hina dolls to pray for the girls' health and happiness. I also used to start displaying the dolls when the Hina-matsuri get closer. Hina dolls are beautiful in traditional Japanese kimonos such as junihitoe, a twelve-layered kimono of the Heian period, a thousand year ago. I was excited when I opened the box in which the dolls were resting and saw them again!


We also have sweets for Hina-matsuri. They are sweet rice crackers called Hina-arare. When I displayed the dolls, my brother was always coming and picking them without helping us to display.
The colors of Hina-arare are pink, green, yellow and white, which is very cute!

 

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Ippei Suzuki | Flickr



We have very pretty kimonos and obis with a design of ladies like Hina-dolls!
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By the way, I think March is the greatest season to visit Japan. It's warm and comfortable, and peach blossoms is beautiful in March. So peach blossoms are also displayed with the Hina dolls.
Sakura(cherry blossoms) also begins to bloom in the middle of March, and the blooming forecast has announced!
https://tenki.jp/sakura/expectation/

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a nice weekend!

Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.785

 

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photo by Jun K
Dear Ichiroya news letter readers.
How are you doing?
This time Iori is writing.
 
It is end of February and should be very cold outside here in Osaka.
This winter, we are having weird weather in Japan. It is snowy cold sometimes and then it gets warm like if the spring has come.
It is hard for me to manage the health in good condition with this weather.
 
However, kids always need some fun outside!
We went climbing Mt.Kongo, which located on the south part of Osaka and relatively easy to climb up for people of all ages.
We enjoyed making a snowman, doing snowball fight, and sledging on top of the mountain.
We also went skiing to Nagano prefecture.
It was the first time for my kids to ski.
They really enjoyed it.
 

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By the way, did you know that we have Kimonotte Han-eri(added collar) of ski motif?
Its retro and cute pattern would add to the charm of your kimono style!
 
 
Back to my story, we had some tempura(deepfried) of edible wild plants for dinner at the hotel.
They are sprouts and buds of plants and called an early spring delicacy.
It was good and I felt spring has come just around the corner.
 
The weather is good to outgoing and lots of flowers bloom in spring.
I am looking forward to dress up in pastel color clothes or flower design clothes!
 
I will introduce some good items for spring.
The colorful and kawaii kimono, obi and other items should lift you up!
 
 
 
 
 
Thank you for reading till the end.
Have a wonderful weekend!
 
 
 

Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.784

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Dear Newsletter readers,
 
Hello, this is Mari writing. 
Have you already watched the movie "Bohemian Rhapsody"?
I did, and abuso-bloody-lutely loved it! It is a blockbuster in Japan! The film so far 
drew audiences totaling 8.2 million , and its box-office revenue is exceeding 
11.4 billion JPY (103 million USD) as of February 12th. 
This is the second best record in the world next to the United States (200 million USD).
"BoRap" is a social phenomenon in Japan. People created a word "Boheru" (watching the movie), and go to theaters multiple times to "Boheru"! 
I'm one of them. 
For the first time, I watched it at a movie theater by myself. It was a regular 
screening which every audience was sitting still, and watching quietly.
Well, I really wanted to make some noise and sing while I was watching it! 
So, I decided to go to a Sing-Along! Believe it or not, I'm a kind of person who really 
appreciate and enjoy this kind of event. Decades ago, I was a member of the Far
East fun club of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show". I took a roll of Magenta in a french maid 
uniform, and play, sang and danced at movie theaters! Let's do the time warp again!
 
Anyways, in the morning of the day I attended the Sing-Along, I left home 
just like Freddie left his home in the morning of Live Aid. I wore black leather 
jackets on top of white wife-beaters. I didn't forget to put my mustache on.
 

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The theater was a full house! I entered there just like Freddie entered the Live 
Aid stage. The lady who was seating right next to me praised my costume and mustache. I asked 
her "Have you ever seen this movie before?" She said "This is my ninth time!".
OMG! See! This is the reason why this movie is such a huge blockbuster in such a
small island country which has only 120 million population!
 

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Although it was my second time to watch "BoRap", it was still a bloody great 
entertainment which never let audiences bored. For the last 21 minutes of the movie, 
I sang, screamed, clapped and stomped as if I were at Live Aid! Bohemian Rhapsody, 
Radio Ga Ga, We Will Rock You, We Are the Champions! We all can sing those Queen's 
mega hit songs, right? Their performance still attracts audiences in 21st century soooo much!
We now realize that Queen has been a part of every single one of our life!
After the show, people started gathering around me, and asking to take pictures with me. hahaha!
I had a bloody great time!
 

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By the way, do you know that Freddie loved Japan and Japanese culture? In the movie, he wears colorful female juban(undergarment) 
at home. Also, he wore kimono inspired costumes when he performed in Japan. He looks bloody cool in Kimono!
If you image search "freddie mercury kimono", you see lots of images of him wearing Furisode like costume.  
 
 
If you want to dress like Freddie, we have some Furisode kimono and juban(undergarment) 
like he wore!

Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.783

 
 
Konnichiwa Minasan! Ogenki desuka? 
Yoko is writing this weekend's newsletter.  I hope everyone is having a nice weekend.
Monday is a national holiday in Japan, so we are having a three days weekend. yahooo!!!
 
Have you noticed Ichiro's crazy lines of Kimonotte Side Project Obi are growing?
So far there are 60 different patterns that he came up with, and can you guess which obi has the most sale? 
(drums)  Yes, you guessed it right.
It is the black cat Obi.
https://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/436789/
I am not jealous! but I think he should make an obi with design of Marin ! hahaha just joking.
 
Here are some recently added Kimonotte Obi you might enjoy!!
Even though some have SOLD mark, we can make one for you, so please contact us if you wish to purchase any obi :
 
By the way, have you seen our new Haneri and Obiage with Mukashi Banashi, Japanese old tales, designs?
 
This one has adorable Momotaro, Peach Boy, design.
 

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This one has famous Usagi to Kame, The Tortoise and the Hare, design. 

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They both are amazingly cute, perfect for outings on Kodomonohi or school events. :)
 
About the time this newsletter is sent, I am probably sitting in my Kotatsu with my beagle Marin. 
She LOVES getting in the Kotatsu with me.
In Japan, it is said that Inu(dogs) loves the cold but Neko(cats) doesn't.  It is not the case for Marin, definitely!

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This is my first newsletter of this year, so I would like to tell you about my Gantan and Hatsumoude to Kashihara shrine.
On January 1, Gantan, like last year, we visited my parents place in Nara. 
We had Osechi in the morning and visited the Kashihara Jingu shrine afterwards.  
Of course, I handed Otoshidama, New Years tradition of giving children money, to my kids.  
Of course, they seemed really happy, but my empty wallet wasn't!  hahaha
 
 

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Here are some of the photos I took at the Kashihara Jingu. The Gantan was sunny and warm! 
My kids enjoyed snacking at some food stands on the way to the main shrine and back.
I guess that is the most fun part about Hatsumoude!?  
 

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My brother's family also visited my parents place during Oshogatsu, and we really enjoyed our time together, especially the kids enjoy
this get together which only happens twice a year, Oshogatsu and Obon.
I really enjoyed seeing my silly brother as you can see!
 

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Thank you so much for reading my newsletter!!!
Next up is Mari!
 
Have a wonderful weekend!

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Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.782

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Tokyo Tower
 
Dear Newsletter readers,
 
Hello! This is Nagisa writing. How was your New Year's holidays? I went to Tokyo in this Oshogatsu. Yes, I went to Tokyo again. I have no idea how many times I talk to you about my trip to Tokyo in this newsletter. This time, my purpose was watching Rice Bowl which is the football game between champions of collage league and corporate league. KG Fighters, my old school football team participated in the game as the collage champion! At first, I was going to watch the game at sport bar, but I can't find the place anywhere in Osaka. I consulted with my friend what should we do. I thought that Tokyo maybe call us, and KG Fighters need our support. It must be so! We discussed about it on Jan. 1st, and we headed to Tokyo on Jan. 3rd. Unfortunately, they lost the game. However, I'm so glad that I was able to watch their fight with my own eyes!
 
Of course, we enjoyed sightseeing in Tokyo, too! We went to Tokyo Tower which was a radio tower worked until 2013. The height of the tower is 333 meters, and there are two observatories each at 150 meters and 250 meters above the ground. We took part in a tour named 'TOP DECK TOUR' to go up the upper one. Look at this urban view! There was also beautiful Mt.Fuji over the concrete jungle. Can you see it? We can see it so clearly and that was very moving! I regret that the picture can't express how beautiful it is. On the other hand, there are lots of mirrors arranged geometrically in the observatory. Neo-futuristic! Tokyo Tower has just marked 60th anniversary in December last year. Its red silhouette is symbol of Tokyo even now, isn't it? If you ever visit to Tokyo Tower, I recommend that you join the TOP DECK TOUR!
 
 

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Geometric pattern is often used on Kimono items, too. I'd like to introduce you today my favorite items of stylish and unique geometric pattern!
 
< Obi >
 
< Kimono >
 
< Han-eri and Obiage >
 
By the way, I went to 'WIZARD TOUR 2019' of VICKEBLANKA last week. Do you remember him? He is Japanese piano man who I'm addicted to. Did you listen to his songs yet? That was my first time to go to his show at music club. Sometimes he sing ballad songs playing piano, and sometimes he play rock music strumming guitar. Also, sometimes he change the music club into disco club playing EDM music, and sometimes he sing pop songs running around on the stage. There were full of magic, and I saw wizard on him! Time just flew because it was sooooo much fun! I got a year's worth of energy from his performance.
 
Thank you for reading til the end! That was my story of start of 2019. It was good start even if I do say so myself. haha... See you next time!

Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.781

Hello, how are you doing? Mitsue is writing this time.
Almost a month has passed since new year began. I caught a cold and kept sleeping with stomachache during the holidays. I finished cooking Osechi dishes before the New Year's Day, and ate Ozoni in the next morning. Then, suddenly I felt something strange with my stomach. 'Is it food poisoning?' I asked to myself. 'No, no, my son is good and similar symptom does not come out with him.'  I replied. Fortunately I had no fever, so I could read some books and watching TV in bed. I thought I spent busy time at the end of the last year, so God gave me a rest in the beginning of a year.
Talking about my private matter, I am a member of an orchestra of Chinese instrument. I play Niko (two strings fiddle) and Kosou (Chinese harp). We perform a concert annually and visit somewhere to play together with other orchestra. I went to Tokyo and Kyoto to play last year, and sometimes plays at a church and a home for elderly people as a volunteer.
At the end of the last year, I played 'Haru no umi' (The Sea in Spring) with an orchestra member. It is a music for Japanese instruments of 'Koto'(Japanese harp) and 'Shakuhachi' (five-holed bamboo flute) composed in 1929 by Michio Miyagi, and known for one of the most famous pieces for New year. We tried to play with Chinese harp and Western flute. It was an interesting trial and we practiced over a year.

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Miyagi composed this piece from his childhood image of the sea from the port town of 'Tomonoura' (in Fukuyama city of Hiroshima prefecture) that he saw before he lost his eyesight. I had lived in Fukuyama city for 5 years since my husband transferred there. We often drive there to see beautiful scenery and eat delicious sea food. Tomonoura has been a prosperous port since ancient times. Its unique circular harbor was preserved even after modern port facilities were introduced. So 'Tomonoura' is very calm and quiet place facing to the 'Setonaikai' (Seto inland sea). There are many historical temples and shrines around there, and the area is famous for red sea bream fishing. Tomonoura is the spot where the Iroha Maru, a ship belonging to Sakamoto Ryoma had sunk. It is a very historical port town, so I recommend to visit there if you come to Japan.
 

Today I introduce some pieces with musical instrument design. I hope you like them.  Thank you for reading.

Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.779

 
Happy New Year, newsletter readers!
This is Azusa writing. I hope you will have a bright and happy year! How was your new year holidays? Did you eat something delicious? I spent my holidays with my family, and my parents said to me the whole time, "Come on, eat eat" during the holidays, so I was always eating various foods like rice crackers, rice cakes, oranges and special New Year's dishes called Osechi-ryori and Ozoni. Have you heard the word "Kami-sama"? It is a word for deity. In Japan, it is believed that there are myriads of deities. They are said to be in everything. They are in mountains, rivers, the sun, forests, and even in toilets! They are enshrined everywhere in Japan. For example in the Ise Jingu in Mie, Amaterasu Oomikami, the deity of the sun is enshrined.  
 
Many Japanese people visit shrine to pray to deities for good health in the new year. It is called Hatsumode. I also visited a shrine in my neighborhood with my family and made a wish and made a new year's resolution. My new year's resolution is to do a little bit of exercise and get enough sleep! Let me introduce you kimonos and obis with a shrine and temple design!