Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.628
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Our office will be closed between 12/25 (Fri) and 1/3 (Sun), Japan time, for the New Year holidays.
During our holidays, no new items will be listed, and we won't be able to reply to any emails or process shipments.
Thank you so much for your understanding and consideration.
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Hello from Yuka. How was your 2015? Have you smiled a lot? Have you cried? You may have had a hard time. You may had some sleepless nights.You may have unforgettable memory.
We have ten more days for recovery--I hope rest of 2015 is filled with peace and smiles for you.
How do you spend Oomisoka(December 31st) every year? Do you spned time together with family at home? Do you have New Year holiday anyways?
Schools have winter holidays about two weeks. This year, most schools have holidays from December 26th to January 6th. Most companies have holidays about a week to ten days. Many people go back to hometown to spend Oshogatsu(New Year) together with families. I remember preparing Osechi ryori (new year dishes) with families. My mother used to say, `Let's finish up before Kohaku utagassen starts'. Kohaku utagassen is NHK's year end program and it used to be, it was a MUST thing to watch for everyone.
People used to say the year will not be over without seeing this program-I do not think this is true any more. People have so much choice of music through the net and there is not much music program on TV as it used to. There seem no `hit' song in common in all generation! Ko haku literally means red and white and female singers (red) and male singers (white) perform on the stage and they decide which team wins, it is simple and to be in this program means a lot. It is so interesting, new faces to appear in this program usually say, `I'm so glad to make my parents happy, this is the best Oyakoko I could do'.
NHK used to say they have strict examination to choose singers who can really sing(and has clean image!)and contributed NHK, but since the viewing rate is going down, popular young artists are often chosen, so NHK is trying to please everyone desperately. The program started in 1952, can you believe it?
They have photos of the history here-in older time, people on the stage are wearing kimono! (you can click the numbers to see the program in the way past).
http://www.nhk.or.jp/kouhaku/history/
Some time ago, we received a phone call from a stylist of `Superfly' that they like ot use vintage kimono design for their constume on the stage of Kohaku utagassen.
Shiho, the vocalist of Superfly has great voice-she was in Woodstock's 40th anniversary concert (2009) in NY as the only one artist from Japan. (I hope you can hear her song from the You tube video on top of this newsletter)
They chose these kimono- to make her costume for Kohaku utagassen and other stage.
I did not know Shiho liked vintage Japanese patterns but our younger staff knew and they were so excited to hear that!
However, there was one guy who was more than excited- it was Ichiro. He is a BIG fan of Shiho. He was not in the office when I heard from the stylist - I told him they were asking to see if they could use our kimono to take the design for her costume. He said with the excited voice, to tell them he was a Big fan and had all the CD of hers. `She can choose kimono as many as she like!' he said so.
We are so looking forward to see her on the stage! If you have a chance to see the program, check Superfly's costume!
