Traditional Caste

Traditional Caste

Mary Beck
Ms. Snow
English 12
5 March 2007
Traditional Caste
Any fashion has had its ups and downs. Bellbottoms had their time during the late 60s and 70s, then went fast. Puffed dresses of the late 1800s went out like a lightning bolt. Even dresses left the common mold for women after a while. Now, most women only wear pants all their lives and never wear a dress. All these changes in fashion also effected the cultures involved. With relaxed fit jeans comes a relaxed grip with government. But tradition is still hard to escape completely. The Amish in the Mid-west of the United States still keep to the styles made over two centuries ago. In eastern countries it is no different. Traditionalists in Japan can still be seen in kimono nearly every day. Men and women in traditional garb are still caring for ancient shrines that have stood through time. Just as government officials and businessmen in Japan are still using ancient ethics laws and systems of ruling. Throughout history, the kimono has served as the basis in shaping Japanese ethics and culture.
The history of Japan reflects Chinese culture. Tokyo became the capital in 1868, after Heian had been the capital for over 1000 years. (Meyer 36) This was during the Chinese Confucius period and the Han Dynasty. (Nakamura) The Heian period is known for being the time of the height of the Imperial court. (Fumizuki 226) Due to a vengeful spirit of the previous heir to the throne, Heian became the new headquarters for the emperor of Japan. Thus, bringing upon the Heian period. (Meyer 36) Before 710 A. D., the beginning of the Heian Period, a person from Japan usually wore separate upper and lower garments, or in some cases a one-piece garment like a robe or dress. ("History") During the Heian Period, 710 to 1192, the typical dress changed to reflect the different classes of people, such as samurai, courtesan, and the working class. ("History") Samurai, for the sake of keeping honorable appearances, wore their kimono in limited ways. Their dress was usually only one of three layers. (Yamanaka 35) Courtesans flaunted their placement through bright colors and many layers. At one time, a female courtesan could be wearing sixteen layers, each layer a different bright color set off by mingled white layers. (Yamanaka 34) Workers were no allowed to flaunt or brag with their dress. Their clothes had to be functional and simple. For this, the people wore clothes that could collect and tie to move freely. (Yamanaka 35) Kimono originated as a word for all clothing in Japan. ("History") The original kimono was made of many layers. (Fumizuki 226) As the wearers of kimono began working with layers they also worked with the different colors each layer could be. This brought about a heightened sensitivity to color for the Japanese people. ("History") Passages from The Tale of Genji have been embroidered on kimono. (Minnich 279) Colors used in designs of kimono were chosen depending on season, caste or class, age, and gender. At one time, weavers stopped using smaller patterns in their cloth. Larger designs were made through painting with henna ink directly to the cloth. This allowed for a more personal and rare kimono. Smaller design patterns eventually returned to kimonos during the Edo period. (Minnich 247) The way kimono started was a wide variety of ways to wear it. The Samurai class's style worked its way into the style currently used. (Dalby 11)
Currently, kimonos are not worn as common day clothes. Instead, they are only worn on special occasion. (Fumizuki 226) Around the late 1920s or early 1930s, kimono went out of style. This was caused by Western culture becoming mixed with Asian. (Nakamura) Men, at the time, were required to wear western clothes, such as a sit and tie, when in public. Women were still allowed to wear kimono, as they were not considered as responsible for their actions as men were. Although women still adapted a western style of clothing eventually, even the most modern of women believe in wearing a yukata during a festival. (Dalby 64) In this way, kimono never completely died out. As long as women continued to wear kimono in the streets, tradition would not die. (Nakamura) To not go along with the correct dress by your gender, age, and the season are considered very large mistakes in Japanese culture. (Dalby 165) Such a mistake would be: a woman wearing a man's kimono, a person without a history of being a member of a certain family wearing a kimono with a family crest emblazon on their sleeves and back, or a married woman wearing a kimono with sleeves down past her knees. (Dalby 168) A not as well known faux pa is wearing a completely white kimono and obi. This should only be done if that person pays a ghost in a play. No other allowance can be made. (Dalby 166)
Kimonos are tied with a sash called an obi. When just talking about obi alone, there are differences between men and women that show throughout not only the kimono but also all of Japan. (Dalby 169) Other additions to the kimono that could be called requirements to wear include: tabi, socks built for sandals, han eri, the inner kimono that adds extra color, the obiage, a long piece of thick material tied around the chest before the obi that is also known as an obi scarf, and the obijime, a cord tied around the outside of the obi to hold it still while the obi is being tied. Women wear all these, while men wear the tabi with a different kind of obi. (Dalby 166) Just as rules are different for male and female persons, the rules for the deceased's dress are different from someone who is alive. When a person is alive, the front flaps are wrapped left over right. The deceased's is the opposite. (Dalby 171)
Differences between men and women can be plainly seen when wearing a kimono. The differences amongst rank and caste can be see, but the exact meaning can only be found with a trained eye. (Dalby 166-168) Children, young women, elderly women, and men can all wear kimonos. The sleeves of the kimono change by gender and age. (Dalby 165) For a child, these are usually to the child's waist with a very rounded base. Young women have sleeves almost trailing the ground and slightly less rounded than a child's base of the sleeve. An older woman, but still unmarried would have sleeves just past the waist. A married older woman would have shorter sleeves that are barely rounded. Men, whether just out of adolescence or senior citizen, wear the shortest sleeves with a pointed base and usually do not even have an opening under the arm. All other sleeves have a hole underneath the arm. (Dalby 166-168)
The obi also can distinguish a man from a woman, as well as what the occasion is for. A Maru is an obi that is 32 cm. It is the most commonly used obi for a wedding. The Fukuro Nagoya is 30 cm, and is used as a casual traveling obi for those long journeys in a car or train. A Hitoe is used with a yukata. Depending on how relaxed the yukata is, the obi can change in width. The obi can be 30 cm, 23 cm, or 15 cm. (Yamanaka 70) All these obi would be used by a woman. Men wear an obi called a Kaku. This obi is only nine centimeters. (Yamanaka 105)
Colors are the most prominent form of displaying ran, gender, and season. (Minnich 341) Men wear duller colors in their kimono and obi. Women enjoy the use of brighter colors and pastels. (Minnich 343) For a time, members of a higher class, mainly the samurai, wore the colors of white, red, and purple. The color white is often used as a symbol for honor or an underkimono to set off the other brilliant colors of the layers above it. Members of the working class were not allowed to wear white kimono of any sort. (Minnich 341) Red symbolizes happiness and good fortune when worn for a wedding under two layers of white before the ceremony. After the ceremony is finished, the bride would take off the top two layers of white and go in the red kimono to the reception. Before she gets there, she would put on a different set of kimono layers, with the red underkimono still on. (Minnich 342) Purple in any culture is considered royal. Asian is no different. Only the highest in the royal family were allowed to wear purple obi. Cherry blossoms, maple leaves, butterflies, and various animals and flowers are common examples of patterns based on nature used in the weaving of fabric for kimono. (Minnich 343)
The silk worm was a big part of the creation of the kimono. Koreans originally brought silk worms and silk to Japan through smuggling. ("Silk" 126) In Settsu, there is a shrine raised in honor of four women that came from China illegally to teach the Japanese how to weave silk. ("Silk" 126) To keep the fabric stiff for cutting, starch is used. This starch in the silk of a kimono makes the material rather stiff, when first worn. But after time the kimono works with the wearer's body and becomes comfortable. (Yamanaka 45) As said in the Encyclopedia of Textiles, "A great deal of Japan's silk production is used in the domestic market of that country. Silk is highly valued for its qualities -- especially by wearers of the kimono. Fine examples of silk weaving are eagerly bought by men and women alike. The beauty of the silk kimono continues to be appreciated in Japan and most of the best-dressed Japanese women include these silk kimonos in their wardrobe." (137)
Cherry blossom trees blooming, a young girl sitting on a back porch watching the petals fall into her lap, and a bamboo fountain clinking in the distance are all combined to bring inspiration to some of the greatest artists in the world, the weavers of silk. The silk used in a kimono is usually made with silk or soft cotton. The soft cotton is used more than the silk. Silk is so expensive, it is most commonly used as an export item. ("Silk" 209) Non-soft cotton kimonos are called Yukatas. These are usually worn to festivals or fairs, and are mainly worn by young girls, but can be worn by both men and women. (Yamanaka 53) Haori, a half-length coat, are usually worn by men and women alike when working at a fair or carnival. They are worn with tight shorts and an obi with a small width, tied like a man's. (Yamanaka 134) Kimonos are made from straight-line cuts. These allow for easy tailoring and fitting. (Minnich 347: Yamanaka 42; "History") The history of the obi is based on the obi's width. As time progressed in Japan, the obi became wider and the tying of the obi became more intricate. (Minnich 351)
Japan's system of ethics relies heavily on traditions and appearances. Just as with their clothes, and their beliefs, the Japanese have borrowed many of their ways of life from the Chinese. (Nakamura) This includes their caste system. The only way to tell what a person is at first glance is by looking at their clothes. The kimono and how it was worn had a big influence on this. (Nakamura) Members of high courts would have kimono with many layers, while the working class, as mentioned earlier, would have only one or two layers and their kimono would be shorter or would be tied up around the waist for free movement. (Minnich 115) As talked about earlier with gender differences, these differences are brought upon by the belief that men are more accountable for their actions. As is the size of the obi are to show the amount of allowances someone is allowed. Young women and children have rounder sleeves, in this way, they are not thought of as responsible. Children and men have simple obi that does not constrain movement. Women on the other hand are not allowed as free of movement. They are believed to not have as many liberties allowed to them. (Dalby 167)
Tradition kept the kimono around, but the world forced kimonos to become known. People all over the world wear the kimono for business, weddings, plays, or just for lounging around on a nice summer day. Immigrants from Japan to other countries, such as America and England, continue their long traditions of their dress, way of speaking, and food. The knowledge has kept with them and inspires them today. Some people see the kimono as a comfortable robe. A few people that know more about the kimono and its history admire it as a beautiful piece of traditional artwork that can be worn. Even less people who know their entire history, what they mean, and why they changed know just why they are one of the most talked about traditional dress of any country.