-
Minami-za: ‘Kyary Kabuki Kabuki’ きゃりーかぶきかぶき
Japanese pop artist Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ) who is known for her visual and musical style blending historical Japanese and more contemporary kawaii elements performed at the legendary kabuki theatre Minami-za (南座) in Kyoto yesterday. The venue was errected during the Edo period in 1610 at a time when kabuki performances enjoyed increasing popularity among… Read more
-
gofuku-shō 呉服商: Drapery Stores
These images by Kobe-based photographer Teijiro Takagi (高木庭次郎) depict a so-called gofuku-shō (呉服商), a drapery store, during the Meiji (1868-1912) or Taishō period (1912-26). Panels of fabric are rolled out on the floor and hung up on the background, with customers examining the pieces of cloth they would like to have turned into kimono. Made… Read more
-
Japan House London: ‘Living Colours: Kasane – the Language of Japanese Colour Combinations’
I went to visit the ‘Living Colours: Kasane – the Language of Japanese Colour Combinations ‘ (かさねの森 染司よしおか) exhibition currently staged at the Japan House in London last weekend (running until 19 May). The exhibition explores the work of the Kyoto-based Yoshioka Dyeing Workshop (染司よしおか) now operating in it’s fifth generation. Yoshioka Sachio is the current… Read more
-
Toyohara Chikanobu: ‘Female Student with Umbrella’
This ukiyo-e woodblock print from the Meiji period (1868-1912) depicts a young female student presumably heading to one of her lessons. In a very fashionable manner, she is combining a checkered buttoned shirt with a cherryblossom-patterned kimono, showing off the undergarment’s band collar and sleeves with rounded cuffs. The black laced umbrella additionally confirms the… Read more
DR CAROLIN BECKE 