I had the opportunity to go on the MWR Kimono fitting tour at Akizuki town in Asakura. It only comes around twice a year, and this trip was the first where you are able to keep your Kimono. It was something on my bucket list for our time here in Japan, so I'm really glad I was able to go.
When we first arrived we picked our kimonos (mine was picked for me because the one I initially picked was apparently too short in the sleeve area. The ladies were tsk-tsking at my naked elbows). There obviously aren't many kimonos made for women of my stature in Japan. After selecting a Kimono and an Obi (the sash around the middle) we were dressed by a team of Japanese ladies. We quickly learned that there's a lot more to putting a kimono on than just slipping on a robe and tying a sash around your waist. There was a lot of squeezing and pulling and cinching and stuffing. It was a lot more complicated than I had imagined. They stabilize the already thick fabric of the obi with cardboard and little pillows, and lash it to you tightly with several sashes and strings. I quickly realized that once I took it off I would never be able to figure out how to put it on again correctly. i have a lot of respect for the women who do this by themselves! Here's everything besides the socks and kimono:
We were also able to buy pretty paper parasols at a nearby antique shop. Here's mine:
After our group was finished getting ready, we took a short walk up to a beautiful garden and tea house. This was my first time attending a tea ceremony. It was nice to be able to explore and take some pictures.
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| I didn't try the tea but it smelled like a freshly mown lawn :) The "cake" was like a red bean jello. |
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| The tea house and garden |
Afterwards we walked around town a little bit before having a picnic lunch. My only complaint about the tour is they gave us way too much time to eat a sack lunch so there was a lot of waiting in a HOT kimono. It would have been really nice to go to a fancy Japanese restaurant instead.
After our lunch we walked up to the Akizuki Castle Ruins (which now hosts a school). There were pretty little shops and vendors along the way.
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| Old carriage ramp and exterior wall. |
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| Persimmon tree |
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| We are getting a little bit of fall color, but it is still pretty warm here! |
We were taking a group photo and this Japanese guy approached me asking if he could take a picture with me on his camera. I'm glad I handed someone my camera too to capture the moment ;) It felt like taking wedding photos, our group had a good giggle about it. The Japanese aren't very shy, and they love tall, blonde ladies.
I decided to wear my kimono home since David watched Eisley all day for me and I wanted him to be able to see it. We bought a little chinese style kimono dress for Eisley at the far east bazaar they have on base so I took some pictures with her. She was in a really grumpy mood so they aren't the best, but she's so darn cute anyway.
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