Welcome to the Nihon-buyo channel. I'm Chinami hananomoto. I am a professional Japanese traditional dancer. Nihon-buyo is one of the traditional Japanese dances. I will share the daily life of traditional Japanese dancers through this channel. I hope you enjoy this channel.
I love everything I learn about Japanese culture. I lived two weeks in Kyoto and was probably the happiest two weeks of my life. I am trying to learn to wear kimono. I own four that don't fit me, but are too pretty to part with. The fifth kimono does fit but I am having a hard time learning to tie an obi. I am going to a festival this weekend and I think I'm still to shy about my bad tying skills so I will probably use a pre-tied obi. I may break a few rules but I will try my best.
Your aunt is such a kind and stylish person! Her style shown in this video comes across as very elegant and refined. That silver and grey one with plum blossoms... it's just my style! I hope I can find a similar one secondhand some day. My grandmother's favorite color was a light green, so the kimono I have from her are that color, which doesn't really suit me. She passed away some years ago now, so I still treasure them!
It would appear that kimono's are made in one length and that the wearer has to adjust it to their height. That means, every time you wear it you have to adjust it. Is it possible to get the correct length and fix it, so that you can avoid further adjustment. On a slightly different note, how do you cope with using the toilet? There is a lot of material and you do not want it draped on the floor. I have a pair of hakama which are really annoying to go to the toilet in.
The correct size for women's kimono is your entire height (from head to floor) so you can wear it fashionably with an ohashori (the fold at the waist). The correct height for men's kimono is your height from your shoulders to floor. Men's kimono is not worn with an ohashori. Some dance kimono are longer than your entire height so they can trail nicely on the floor and look glamorous when you move. Maiko and geisha's kimono are this type, called hikizuri. Because these sizes are exact (i.e. your height, your shoulder height, et cetera) kimono is not really one size or "free size". It is tailored to your measurements, so when buying secondhand you must check the height and the size of the back and front widths to make sure it will fit you properly. Of course there are mass-produced yukata now that are sized like S, M, L, LL, and so on, but unless you are the exact size they think of when making that size, it won't really be properly measured to you. (Of course, they are still wearable.) To use the toilet, it's quite simple to pick up the layers from the hem and pull them up above your hips, so you can sit down and use the toilet. Once you are done, it's easy to put each layer back nicely, so it's as it was before. For hakama, the back is tied on last, so you untie the back only and fold it down, leaving the front still tied, then pull up your layers as described. It's easier when wearing hakama because you wear your kimono a bit shorter. Please recall that traditional toilets are squat toilets, so this holding of fabrics out of harm's way is a bit easier with that style, but it still works with a sitting toilet.
Just discovered your channel, but watched many videos in a row, you are such a good dancer, and I love your positive energy! I am fascinated by Japanese music and dances and I loved how you explained the meanings of the lyrics! Thank you!
You replied very nicely to this not-so-nice comment! Personally, my favourite thing to reply in situations like this is: "You speak English because it's the only language you understand. I speak English because it's the only language you understand". P.S. If anything, I think your English pronunciation is beautiful! And what is even more beautiful is that you make an effort to make videos in a language that is not your native one. Thank you for the amazing videos!
So happy to see you back! Life isn’t always able to be neatly planned for us so we do what we need to. I was so touched by your apologies but I guess in my culture such thoughtfulness is rarely seen. It is always a wonderful moment to watch your videos…going through some trying times myself…so your videos do bring a spark of joy when I watch them. Thank you again (arigato…I hope I got that correct lol😂).
Thank you very much for this hairstyle. It looks very elegant, and I really enjoyed watching the traditional Japanese dance! I will try this hairstyle since my hair is about the same length. ありがとうございました