Sunday, March 28, 2010

A gaggle of Japanese princesses


Right outside the theatre, next to the castle, as part of the spring cherry blossom festival, some people were letting people try on a 'juu-ni hitoe' or 12-layered kimono, such as that worn by aristocratic women in the Heian period 1000 years ago, and still worn by the dolls put on display during the Dolls'\girls's festival in early March.

Actually, there were only six layers, but it was still phenomenally heavy! I got a sore neck just getting it put on! The lady 'selling' the (free) experience was advertising it as 'making anyone look 15'. Except me, I just looked like an overweight middle-aged hippy with a fancy dressing-gown. I think my two lovely daughters managed to look 15 though.

Erica of course couldn't fit into them, but she happily amused herself collecting stones from a garden and graciously 'sharing' them with the kimono staff.

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