Kimono Day

Rimi-san is a dear sister who has taken us on to teach us about her culture. We have had a traditional tea ceremony and now a kimono dressing. There are many parts to the kimono that most people would not know about. For example under the red Obi there are two binding cords and an Obi Ita. The cords hold the kimono up in the right length and the Ita keeps the shape of the Obi. It is basically a hard belt that is the width of the Obi. I wore this kimono for about 4 hours. I decided to purchase an Obi Ita and wear it every day becuase I now believe that is the reason that most Japanese women are skinny. It works almost like a girdle. I sucked my gut in the entire 4 hours. I had such a wonderful time and really enjoyed this experience. We asked Rimi what we could do for her becuase she is so kind to teach us so much. She said, "Tell me you love me!" ...and so we did! Our next class will be ichibana, the art of flower arranging. So more photos to come.