Blossom Viewing in Kimono: Sumidagawa and Ueno Park

*Click pictures to enlarge

A friend and I dressed up in kimono to go to the “Sumidagawa Kimono En’yūkai” (隅田川きもの園遊会) event near Asakusa. My friend wore a sea-mint green iromuji with a design of unidentifiable flowers, and paired it with a hanahaba half-size obi in grey. She also had a very pretty sandalwood kanzashi hairpin with a cherry blossom motif in her bun. I was wearing a pink iromuji (single color) lined kimono with a woven chrysanthemum design, paired with a Nagoya obi with a chrysanthemum motif in a floating weave.
This combination of pink iromuji kimono and floating weave roundels in an obi is supposed to be appropriate for those in their 20s to 40s (Kimono Salon Spring 2006, p. 104). I wore a brown haori jacket over it, despite the heat, to protect the kimono and obi from being jostled in the crowds. Under the kimono, I wore a single-layer Nagajuban under-kimono, instead of the more seasonally appropriate lined Nagajuban in hopes to be slightly cooler. I was still quite hot



We traipsed up and down both sides of the Sumidagawa under the blossoms, which were still in bloom. Even though it was a kimono event and many other people were walking about in kimono in addition to us, several people stopped us to ask to take our pictures. Both Japanese and foreigners alike seemed intrigued to see us in kimono and asked us many questions, such as did we dress ourselves, how long had we been practicing wearing kimono, where did we learn how to wear kimono.
I also noticed that although supposedly one is not suppose to wear kimono with a cherry-blossom motif to a cherry blossom viewing, many were nevertheless dressed in kimono or obi with cherry blossom motifs. Perhaps, kimono dressing etiquette is more a list of suggestions, rather than hard fast rules, or the rules for tea are different, or people just ignore kimono “rules” if they feel like it.



We then made our way make to Asakusa stopping along the way at various Zori sandal shops, since my friend is looking for a new pair. Next we stopped for lunch on the top restaurant floor of the nearby Matsuya department store. After eating we decided we needed to walk around some more to work our lunch off, so we hopped on the Ginza subway line to Ueno to see the cherry blossoms there. We walked along the main park promenade from the nearby the base of the Shinobazu pond to the Tokyo National Museum. Luckily it wasn’t as crowded as it might have been, since the blossoms had peaked the weekend before. When the blossoms are in their peak, this promenade is like a crowded subway at rush hour, really no exaggeration, it is hard to breath, let alone move. This is a picture of the not-crowded situation, just so you get the idea.



We went on to the museum to see their spring display of kimono and their special rotation of art objects with cherry blossom motifs. Arriving there, the double-cherry blossom tree in the front garden was in bloom so we had are pictures taken there, and several more people either asked to take our pictures, or to have their pictures taken with us. Many also asked us if we were dressed in kimono for a tea ceremony, probably because we were both wearing iromuji kimonos appropriate for the tea ceremony.



Since the back garden with tea huts was open to the public special for this season alone (it is also open in autumn for the fall leaves), we went on to the back to stroll through the garden. The blossoms had already started to fall, and when a wind came is was like being covered in a mini-storm of fluttering petals. It was so very pretty and poetic, I tried to take a picture but the falling petals failed to come out in the photos.




The back garden was very beautiful and quiet, all that a Japanese garden should be, and it was also not very crowded since the peak of blossom-viewing had passed. Afterwards we went inside the museum to see the kimonos on display and ukiyo-e prints of spring themes. Finally we were exhausted and walked back to the Ueno station to go home. The bottoms of my feet were very sore from walking around do much in zori. I am glad we made the visit to Ueno Park, though, the season just wouldn’t be complete for me without seeing the blossoms there and visiting the museum.


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Comments

1. Posted by marie carre   April 11, 2008 16:14

Woaw! That's pretty.
I'm really interested in kimonos, but I don't know...I didn't get the chance to buy or to rent one, yet. I'd like to buy one a day... but my husband doesn't think it's a good idea, as you can't clean them yourself.
I'm not sure of that.

2. Posted by Auberginefleur   April 14, 2008 13:16

Enough undergarments are worn under the kimono that they are rarely more than spot cleaned. Some can be bought cheaply on ebay.

You could also buy a colorful cotton yukata you can clean yourself.

It is always fun to get others involved in my own addictions.

-AF

3. Posted by Melanie   April 16, 2008 15:07

Sounds like a wonderful day and you and your friend look gorgeous in your kimono!