Japan Design Today 100

http://www.jpf.org.au/jpfevents/11-jpdesigntoday100/index.html

The Australia Japan Society (Tasmania) with the Japan Foundation are bringing this fantastic exhibition down to Hobart from the 20 June - 15 July at the Schoolhouse Gallery & Rosny Barn, City of Clarence.

Featuring the finest Japanese design of household products from the 1990s to the present-day.
These selected designs provide a modern mirror into the hopes and dreams of the people who used the products, as well as the designers and corporations who created them. It illustrates the trends and features of Japanese design at specific time periods, allowing an insight into the nature of today's Japanese culture.

More details and photos on the website.

foxy fox fox - kitsune in images #1

Prince Hanzoku terrorized by a nine-tailed fox. Print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi, 19th century http://www.worldsofimagination.com/monster%20Kitsune.htm; Kikukawa Eizan, 'Geisha Playing the Hand-Game Kitsune-ken' http://www.vam.ac.uk/users/node/7318; Kuniyoshi's woodblock print of the legendary kitsune Kuzunoha http://abutterflydreaming.com/2009/05/20/fox-magic-kitsune/; Kitsune no Yomeiri - The Fox's Wedding Series Print by Tachibana Minko and his Circle http://www.corbisimages.com/stock-photo/rights-managed/IX004602/kitsune-no-yomeiri---the-foxs-wedding/?ext=1; Dancing Fox, Ohara Koson (Japanese), c. 1910http://effyeaharthistory.tumblr.com/post/1177190896/dancing-fox-ohara-koson-japanese-c-1910; Kuniyoshi's "Fox Wife Departing" http://endicottstudio.typepad.com/endicott_redux/2007/02/meg_foxs_commen.html; Kunitarō Sawamura II as Kitsune Tadanobu (left) flying over the stage, in the August 1825 production of Yoshitsune Senbon Zakura http://wapedia.mobi/en/Kabuki; (1R) Nakamura Sankô I as Kojorô kitsune (fox); (2R) Kataoka Nizaemon VII as Sengoku Gonpei; (3R) Ichikawa Ebijûrô I as Takechi Samanosuke; (4R) Arashi Karoku IV as Izumo no Okuni; (5R) Nakamura Utaemon III as Nagoya Sanza in Kotobuki Horaisan, Naka Theater, Osaka http://www.osakaprints.com/content/artists/info_pp/hokushu_info/hokushu_13a.htm

At the first meeting of 'Kitsune' the meaning of the club name and symbol was discussed. The pictures above are a small sample of wood block prints depicting kitsune in various forms: fox wives, nine-tailed foxes, and a fox wearing a leaf on his head preparing to transform. Some of these foxes are from kabuki plays. One image depicts geisha in kimono doing the hand actions to a dance about foxes. You will notice that all of these foxes are red or brown not white. White foxes are messengers to the rice and fertility deity Inari.

The 'Kitsune' club logo is taken from a woodblock print by the artist Yoshitoshi and is part of his series One Hundred Aspects of the Moon (1885–1892).

This post is the first in what will hopefully be a series on famous kitsune and foxes. Topics that I hope to cover include: Inari shrines and foxes; foxes in anime and manga; fox wives; foxes in kabuki; Yoshitune senbon zakura; Abe no Seme;

Useful Books #1

The following is a list of useful books in English taken from the Ichiroya FAQ page link. This page also has details on how to wear kimono and kimono information such as the differences between men's, women's and children's kimono and kitsuke.

The Book of Kimono / The Complete Guide to Style and Wear
by Norio Yamanaka
Kodansha

Kimono:Vanishing Tradition
by Cheryl Imperatore & Paul Maclardy
A Schiffer Book for Designers & Collectors

Japanese Costume
by Helen Benton Minnich
Tuttle(Kodansha or Weatherhill imprimatur)

To make a kimono for yourself--

MAKE YOUR OWN JAPANESE CLOTHES
by John Marshall
Kodansha International

To learn about textiles and designs of kimono--

The Ultimate SASHIKO SOURCEBOOK
by Susan Briscoe
David & Charles

Textile Art of Japan
by Sunny Yang, Rochelle M. Narasin
Shufunotomo Co.,LTD

Design with Japanese Obi
by Diane Wiltshire & Ann Whitshire
Charles E. Tuttle Company
*It is full of obi display hint with beautiful photos.

Japanese Costume and Textile Arts
by Seiroku Noma
Heibonsha series on Japanese arts
review by Mr Jaxo Nobori
It has seen a number of printings, so several editions are readily available on the 'used' book market. It deals mostly with Noh costume tradition and Momoyama/Genroku kosode.

Kimono
by Liza Dalby
review by Mr Jaxon Nobori
This is the most recent (and arguably the best). She is a cultural anthropologist by training, who studied the geisha of Kyoto in-depth and actually hired-out as one for a period of time. Besides writing a book on her experiences called "Geisha", she has also written a fictionalized autobiography of "Murasaki Shikibu", the authoress of Genji Monogatari / The Tale of Genji

SYMBOLS OF JAPAN
by Merrily Baird

SNOW, WAVE, PINE
by Sadao Hibi and Motoji Niwa

WHEN ART BECAME FASHION, Kosode in Edo Period Japan
by Dale Carolyn Gluckman and Sharon Sadako Takeda

Useful Kimono and Kitsuke links #1

How to wear kimono, yukata and other Japanese clothing:
http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/fashion/kimono.html link
Simple instructions to wear yukata with links for four different half-width (han haba) obi knots (musubi).

http://kimono.fraise.net/howto/kimono-1.html link
The first page in a series of step by step instructions for wearing kimono and yukata from the underwear (hada juban/naga juban) up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2OQ_A6ynWM link; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEfuLqcpXJQ&feature=related link
Two videos from Camelia Tea's you tube channel showing how to tie Nagoya Obi and Fukuro Obi. Youtube has lots of kitsuke videos (some better than others) which are worth looking through.

http://www.japanesegoods.jp/goods/kimono/index.html link
A brief history of kimono with step by step kitsuke instructions as well as detailed explination of each kimono accessory and how to use it.

http://s3.photobucket.com/albums/y89/Eleryth/Mens%20Kimono%20Hakama%20kitsuke/ link
step by step photos showing how to wear men's kimono and hakama.

Kimono blogs and web sites:
http://www.immortalgeisha.com/ link
Geisha and Maiko site with comprehensive kimono information. Be sure to check out their forums for kitsuke advice as well as the new wiki site http://www.immortalgeisha.com/wiki/index.php

http://www.kimonoasobi.com/ link
Naomi's kimono blog. Beautiful kimono ensembles including those for men and a toddler.

http://kimonoandkitsuke.blogspot.com/ link

http://kimonomagic.blogspot.com/ link

http://kitsunekitsuke.blogspot.com/ link

Online shopping sites:
http://www.ichiroya.com/ link
Kimono flea market with a wide range of kimonos for all styles and price ranges.

http://www.amazon.co.jp link
Amazon Japan offers not only kimono books but also lots of kimono goods and accessories (English available)

http://www.furiru.com link
Emerald's favourite kimono brand. Check out the staff blog for coordinate suggestions. (Japanese only)

http://www.tokyo135.com link
Second hand kimono store, part of the Tansuya chain (http://www.tansuya.jp/shop.html), with stores through out Tokyo including Harajuku. Check out the staff blog for outfits worn by staff and customers.

Welcome to Kitsune Club - 3rd June

-The first meeting of Kitsune was held at the Sandy Bay campus of UTAS on 3rd July. The meeting was attended by 30 people. A summary of the minutes from the meeting can be found below:

-Dr Barbara Hartley gave a welcoming address that expressed her enthusiasm for kimono and her desire to share and learn with the rest of the club.
SALS staff members Hitomi Yoshida and Yukiko Burns as well as PhD Candidate Emerald King introduced themselves and explained their aims for Kitsune:
1)Learn kitskue (how to wear kimono) and learn about kimono - it's history, fashion trends, pattern names and construction.
2)Club outings whilst wearing kimono - Japanese restaurants, high tea, dinner, picnics, cherry blossom viewing etc.
3)Produce, host and participate in a kimono fashion show/exhibition at the end of 2011.

-Emerald explained the meaning of the Kitsune club name and logo:

'Kitsune,' 'fox' is a word play on 'kitsuke,' a Japanese word meaning the formal art of wearing kimono. Kitsune (狐) uses the following kanji 着-通-祢 (ki-tsu-ne) which can be loosely translated as sanctuary for kimono lovers. Kitsune foxes are often tricksters in Japanese folk lore but foxes are also revered as messengers for the harvest deity. The fox in the logo is taken from a famous print of a fox disguised as a woman. The idea of the kitsune/fox hints at the playfulness with which the club aims to approach kimono and kitsuke.

-Club members expressed their reasons for wanting to learn about kimono which ranged from an interest in Japanese culture to a desire to learn how to wear kimono, yukata and other traditional Japanese clothing.

-Hitomi, Barbara and Emerald introduced the group to a number of their favourite kimono sites which will be posted on this blog for future reference.

-Members of the club were dressed in kimono and yukata and posed for photos.

-The next meeting is proposed for the 22 July where the club will practice wearing yukata. Members are encouraged to bring their own yukata, himo (strings/chords to tie yukata) and half-width obi to the meeting.