Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.799
Obi #295953 Kimono Flea Market Ichiroya
Dear Ichiroya newsletter readers
Hi, how are you doing? This is Azusa writing.
It's getting hotter and soon we will enter the rainy season in Japan.
Last month I went to Nara Park to see flowers and deer.
The wisteria in the park was in full bloom. The flowers were very elegant and reminded me of the long sleeves of Furisode!
Nara Park is famous for deer. In Nara Park area, people and deer live together in peace.
There are over 1,000 deer in the park. They are roaming around the park while relaxing and eating rice crackers called Shika-Senbei, which people feed them here and there to attract their notice. They don't even look at a person who doesn't have a Shika-Senbei.
They rested together in the shade of the tree. It was hot on that day, so they seemed a little tired. I took over 30 pictures of them for about 30 minutes, but they looked like they didn't care at all. Kawaii!
By the way, why do you think deer are loved and taken care of like that in Nara?
They are cute, but it's not that because they are cute. It's because they have been believed to be messengers of deities since ancient times. It is said that the deity enshrined in Kasuga-taisha in Nara Park came on a white deer.
The cute deer are depicted in kimonos and obis!
アート表装
The other day, I have visited JR Kyoto Isetan Department store to see Fumiko Matsuda's amazing art work. Her work are exhibited and sold on 9th floor until June 04.
She is an interior coordinater and Senior registered architect who is now making beautiful interior display called `Art Hyoso'. Hyoso literally means `mounting'.
You may have seen Japanese `kakejiku' (scroll) or `byobu (screen). She uses vintage kimono, obi and fukusa for mounting and makes amazing display.
Her works were exhibitied in Gump's SanFrancisco as well as the most famous department store, Mitsukoshi and Isetan in Tokyo. There are many students of her Hyoso classes in Tokyo and Kyusyu area.
Here are her work:
(made of vintage fukusa)
(made of Meiji era kimono)
She use vintage fukusa, kosede, and other vintage items. You can see how she adds some `frame' which are also old obi or kimono. Her work is exceptional with the arrangement of those textile.
These are some of the photos of her work from JR Kyoto Isetan↓
Some of the screens are reversible - you can enjoy each side.
The byobu looks three-dimentional. This is one of the characteristics of her work.
Some `little display' items were sold too (you may notice some textile from kimonotte are used for these small items, but they are exception). She uses only vintage kimono mainly.
If you are interested in purchasing her book, they are available. They include full of impressive photos of work by her and her students.
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.798
Hope you all have wonderful weekend!
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.797
It will be rainy season in Japan soon.
Japanese summer has been getting hotter and more humid
just like Southeast Asia. In summer, I feel like I'm living
in Thailand or Vietnam. Actually, I love those countries so much!
I love their cuisine! I think those spicy dishes taste better when I
eat them in hot and humid weather with sweat like a waterfall!
May. I visited Hanoi, Vietnam to see world heritages such as
Halong Bay and Chang'an. Both areas are beautiful! The top photo is
sunset at Halong Bay. I highly recommend you to visit there when you
have a chance to visit northern Vietnam.
and Pho(rice noodle soup) at home because there is no Vietnamese restaurant in my area.
So, my another main purpose to visit Vietnam was EATING VIETNAMESE CUISINE!
Me and my husband eat pretty much anything. We love local foods we can taste
at the markets, on the streets and so on.
pho on the roadside.
Our kids were a little bit nervous when they saw the feet and heads of chicken.
Believe it or not, they asked another round after they tasted the hot pot!
At the end, we didn't leave a piece of meat on the dish. It was so tasty!
This is it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balut_(food)
He eats it whenever he finds it.
for him. He prefer to have already developed beaks, bones and feathers.
Believe me. I respect any eating habit. I really do!
However, this egg thing isn't for me. Every time he eats the egg, he offers
me a spoon full of the part where used to be yolk. That is so nice of him
because he loves the part. I really appreciate it, but you don't have to do that anymore.
Thanks anyways.
ever tasted. Here is the picture of it.
the egg thing though. I just remembered this obi when I was writing about
the egg.
https://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/400157/
https://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/431686/
https://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/448463/
https://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/820073/
See you next time!
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.796
-
Konnichiwa everyone! Ogenki desuka? Hope minasan is having a relaxing weekend. :)Soon in Japan, it will be Tsuyu (rainy season) and Taue (rice planting) time of the year. I find my neighbors getting ready to draw water into their rice patties. The funny thing is, as soon as the water is drawn, frogs come back and so as the mosquito. Then those frogs jump out of the patties, and make their ways to my garden. Do you think they have the homing instinct? I am sure these are not the same frogs, but... every year, I find one green amagaeru kun returns to my front gate and sitting at the very top. My son when he was a little, threw him far back to the patty, yet one somehow managed to return a few days later. ( I swear it is true! ) Another cute amagaeru kun returns to a paper bag which I keep packs of plastic bags outside for gardening, and it surprises me every time I put my hand in it. Sometimes, at early Spring when the weather is still a bit cold, I accidentally wakes up a Gamagaeru, a huge toad, while gardening. I am starting to think I am the predator and needing to live quietly on their property? fufufu My beagle Marin does not seem to mind their company at all as she enjoys chasing frogs, geckos and grasshoppers in summer.Here are some items with frog motif which is perfect for Summer! Can you find the frogs?Oh by the way, the past Sunday was Mother's day in Japan. My two children and I went to an Italian restaurant and we had a really nice time. I cannot believe my daughter is turning hatachi, 20, next week! and my son is in second year at high school. They have friends and busy with their activities( of course iphones and instragrams), yet they remember to shower me with the wishes every year. I cannot be a happier mom. Urshi desu! Some years ago, my daughter made me a small picture book for Mother's day. I was truly impressed with its quality and care she had put into it. Here I attach some photos for you to see. If you are curios how the story goes, email me and I can send pictures of rest of the story. hahaha, cute isn't it!Here are some items with Rose motifs!You can wear rose motif all year long!Wishing you a wonderful weekend everyone! Thank you for always visiting Ichiroya and reading our newsletters.Also, by the way, I am having a bit of trouble with a particular plant in my garden. It is Houttuynia, we called it Dokudami, and their vitality and production speed is very strong!! I try plainting some nice flowers, but they are outgrown by Dokudami very quickly, and before I knew it, they contain a good part of my garden!!! Do you have any ideas what to do with it!!!!??? Help!!!
Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.795
We are back from Golden Week holiday (Ichiroya)
Having a nice day? We hope you are genki (fine).
We had Golden Week holiday-from April 27th to May 6th and are happy to come back fully recharged.
We (Ichiro and Yuka) spent some days at the foot of Mt Fuji. Love enjoyed the long drive by Ichiro's car.
Look, Love is fully refreshed and very genki, she is saying `taking a break is great!'.
We too are really refreshed.
We are so excited, two of our staff are expecting their babies-we will be soon hearing the good news. They will be Reiwa(our new era name) babies!
As you may knokw, the new Emperor, Naruhito has ascended on May 1st.
He is 59 years old(the same age with me), and we were so glad Empress Masako looked better (as you may know she was suffering stress-related disorder for many years). I think everyone is wishing her well, and hoping she will not feel too much stress about her future life. The former Emperor and Empress had strong bond and looked very happy to be together all the time. The Emperor Naruhito told that he would be doing his best for Masako, so we are sure they will be helping each other and making new royal family which is open to everyone. This is the news in Japanese but I hope you enjoy the photos.
We add new arrivals soon, early morning of May 7th (Japan time).
Hope you enjoy browsing our website and new arrivals!
dozo yoi ichinichio, we wish you a wonderful day.
Ichiro and Yuka (and Love)