Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No569

The statue of Nobunaga Oda at JR Gifu Station

http://www.47news.jp/CN/200909/CN2009092601000298.html

As usual Sunday night, we enjoyed watching NHK historical drama, `Gunshi Kanbei'.

Hideyoshi is getting mad and decided to send his men to Korea to obtain the land for himself but of course it was a big failure and his time is now ending.

Both Hideyoshi(Toyotomi) and Nobunaga(Oda) were very carismatic figure, and they both had enterprising spirit-they really were curious for the culture of foreign countries. 

Nobunaga is said to be the first man to wear `trousers'(pants) in Japan. From late 16 th centry to early 17 th century, Japan had trade with Spain and Portugal.

The big folded screen (Nanban byobu) show the scene from that age so vividly.

http://www.city.kobe.lg.jp/culture/culture/institution/museum/meihin_new/405.html

There seem some Japanese who dressed in western clothings too.

Nobunaga loved to try the new style- the pants he wore was almost like `Hakama' but they had elephant ivory buttons and had curved design- they look like modern sarueru pants a little.

It is interesting that some words related to fashion came from Portugal. For example, kappa, a kind of cloak is originally `capa' from Portuguese:

http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2/62682/

It is surprising, the word `Juban'(underkimono) also came from a word  `GIbao' from Portuguese!

However, GIbao looks very different, Gibao is more like a shirt with standing collar. They wore a Jacket over Gibao and the collar was shown.  Gibao probably became the word for underwear and became Juban. Juban also is worn as under kimono but the collar shows when a kimono is worn over, so it is very interesitng, Gibao and Juban look very different but still the collar is taking important role.

Both Nobunaga and Hideyoshi loved Nanban fashion and tried them and must have felt so proudly happy! Those new fashion must have been very special thing just for people with power but gradually the fashion has been blended into other ordinary people.

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Recently, we heard `randsel'(Japanese school bag)is becoming a cool fashion!

http://www.takashimaya.co.jp/store/special/entrance/

They say, those randsel sell so well as a souvenior recently-not only for kids but for young women's fachion item too! I do not think anyone in Japan could imagine that.

Randsel is for elementary school kids and was never be a `fashionable' item. We know we tend to have fixed idea, but with this example also we realized again, nobody knows what will be the next cool fashion item.