Nishikigoi

Hai, Hai, readers,

Hai is the Japanese word "yes" and it is used often to let the other person know that you know they are there...a kind of recognition of them being with you and you being attentive to them.

I must say another word called Koi in the Hotel's garden pond. It seems as those they were eaten by Japanese rice farmers along time ago. We are in Japan, after all, and fish is abundant. But, more about that is future entries...we are not finished with the topic of "fish".

Koi is the word for carp, and they were kept for 2,500 years ago first by the Chinese. They were first kept in ponds for the viewing pleasure of Chinese nobility. You know carp as gold fish. They began exhibiting patches of color while being kept in China, but it wasn't until they came to Japan that they were bred for beauty. The Japanese are given credit for creating Nishikigoi which in translation means: Living Jewels.

A homophone of the word Koi means love, affection; koi are therefore symbols of love and friendship in Japan, and they are no longer eaten because of this status.

They have fascinated me every time I have visited the garden. Isn't the yellow one unique? I've never seen one that color before.

Kimono

Moshi, Moshi readers,

I have been interested in materials called textiles, and embroidery, for a long time now, so I was really hoping that I would see exquisite material and embroidery on the Japanese-style of clothing called kimono. I learned from several people on the plane that wearing kimono is not very common any more among the youth of Japan.

Kimono is actually the Japanese word for clothing, but now it has become a word that is used to describe traditional Japanese clothing. Kimonos came into begin during the Heian period (794-1192). It was during this period that Japanese clothing evolved from 2 separate pieces into one. Tailors devised a straight-line method of cutting material which took less time to fit and sew since they did not have to concern themselves with the shape of the wearer's body. Kimonos became popular because they were easy to fold, and were comfortable. In winter, they could be layered to keep the wearer warmer(remember, central heating is a new development in heating dwellings), and in summer they were made of material like linen, which was "breathable" and kept the wearer cool.

People began wearing seasonal colors, or colors which showed their political class, and the Japanese began paying attention to how different colors looked together. They developed a sensitivity to color which has been translated today into a heightened awareness of fashion sense and style.

During the Meiji period (1868-19120), The Emperor wanted everyone to dress in the Western style at his court, so this became the fashion. The Japanese now dress in modern Western style clothing most of the time, except for special days like weddings, funerals, or celebrations. However, I was fortunate enough to meet some women wearing kimonos. One you've already seen in the pictures from the subway.
One of the pictures is of kimonos in a shop window; they are very expensive. The white kimono has flying cranes as its embroidered motif; the blue is of chrysanthemums, an autumn flower. The other pieces of fancy material are for the sashes called obi, which shape the kimono to the body. Notice the purses. One is decorated in autumn leaves, carrying out the seasonal theme. The other pictures were taken of historical kimonos found at the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno. The last picture is of modern women wearing kimono.

Riding the rails

Konbanwa!

It is 7:30 p.m. Tokyo time, and I just got back from the Imperial Palace, Ueno, and Asakusa. I did, of necessity, spend part of the day riding the rails. There is so much to tell about not only today, but also other topics that I have wanted to cover, but haven't seemed a priority although they are unique to Japanese culture. So, instead of having a sequence here, I'm just going to write about what pops into my mind first.

There is nothing, I believe, that gets a traveler more in touch with a city than traveling to various parts of it throughout a day, or many days, by the subway. One just emerges from under the street and sees a new and different part of it. So, for all of my readers who need more visuals, here are more subway photos. These were taken early in the day for Tokyo (around 9:00 a.m.); this is definitely a late night city.