Hajimemashite

Welcome to the Gallery of Wear Thing, the online gallery dedicated to the history, art and craft of the kimono. Kimono is a contraction of two Japanese words kiru (to wear clothes) and mono (things). A quick word about grammer, the Japanese language makes no distinction between the singular and the plural form of words. Thus kimono could refer to one or many. There two types of kimono, the formal one worn for wedding, funerals, graduations, and visits to Shinto shrines. They are typically made of heavier fabric, like silk, and require some assistance. The Yukata is the more casual version, made from cotton, worn during the summer for festivals and holidays at the hot springs. In 2010 UNESCO inscribed the traditional silk making process on its List of Intangible Cultural Heritage Properties.