Video: How to Put on a Nagoya Obi (Japanese)

A friend of mine was telling me about this really good Youtube clip of a woman explaining how to put on a Nagoya obi in 10 minutes - including a really detailed explanation of all the steps.

I've only just watched it and thought it was worth sharing!

Unfortunately, it's all in Japanese, which isn't really helpful for understanding her tips if you don't know the language, but I think just watching the movements is enough to help with many usual problems people have when putting on an obi!

I really like that the clip has two points of view, which gives much more perspective of what goes on "behind the scenes", so to speak, when putting on an obi.

I think my absolute favourite thing about the clip is that she doesn't do every step absolutely perfectly like in the magazines (for example, the top of the otaiko looks a little crooked in some angles, etc), yet the obi still looks straight and perfect once she's done!

Ta~

Video: Kimono & Obi Dressing in 5 Minutes

I'm getting a little bored of the closet features and book scans already hahaha.

I found this video years ago, and was just amazed at how fast this woman can dress a mannequin in kimono and obi - and so neatly too! I've been aspiring to be able to dress as quickly and neatly :)

My favourite part about this video is that the woman demonstrates a particular obi musubi that I've found particularly difficult - tsunodashi musubi. It's a very casual musubi that should only be worn with komon (I think of it as one step down from otaiko but one step up from hanhaba) but I really like how it looks with vintage kimono and obi.

Enjoy! :)

Video: How To Dress Yukata & Kimono Part 2

Hmmmm..... It seems that after posting part 1 of Ichiroya's YouTube video on how to dress in yukata, I'd completely forgotten about posting part 2! How embarrassing!! =^__^="""

Anyway, here is part 2 to Ichiroya's instructions on wearing yukata:

(Best part: the video is in easy-to-understand English!)


(Click here for my post on part 1)

As mentioned in my part 1 post, Ichiroya's video is one of the best I've seen, with clear and easy instructions at a decent pace. I love that they show many small but important things, such as a complete list of items needed to wear kimono, padding and the proper kimono silhouette, and important tips to keep in mind when wearing kimono.

Absolutely great video for beginners :)

Video: How To Dress Yukata & Kimono Part 1

I think I've rather been neglecting my blog ^^;;;

As an apology, here is an English video on how to wear yukata, posted by the owners of Ichiroya.com, one of my favourite kimono shops. The people who appear in the video are Yuka-san (Ichiro-san's wife) and their daughter.



The video is quite easy to understand and is very helpful! It does show many important things, such as a complete list of items needed to wear kimono, padding and the proper kimono silhouette, and important tips to keep in mind when wearing kimono.

If you are learning to wear kimono, I would recommend that you start with wearing yukata, since it is simple and easy to wear. This video is the best English video on yukata-wearing that I have seen so far, and is highly recommended!

For those of you who would like to buy the entire video series, Ichiroya is selling a DVD on how to wear kimono on their website (link available at the sidebar) ^^

I hope that this video was helpful to those who are just starting to learn how to wear kimono!

Harp Music~

I do not recall when it was that I began to play the piano. It was most certainly before I turned 9. In fact, I cannot actually remember a time when I was unable to play the piano: it was always a permanent fixture in my life, always a favourite instrument to play.

As such, it is no surprise that piano music is my favourite type of music. I enjoy listening to piano music at any time, no matter how I feel, happy, energetic, sad or even angry - piano music is the one thing through which I can feel emotions at their most intense.

Usually, I would listen to some songs played on the piano (and on violins, guitars, etc.... I like listening to instrumental solos ^_^) on YouTube. However, as of late, I have also been listening to harp music. I used to admire harp music, but only in a very off-hand "oh, that's nice" kind of way. Now, as I listen to some people playing the harp, I am simply blown away by how beautiful it can sound.

Just as a couple of "samples" of what I've been listening to, I chose two popular and easy-listening songs from Phantom of the Opera:



Doesn't it sound stunning? Don't they look so elegant playing the harp? I feel so inspired to take it up now!! :) I wonder where I can find lessons in Kuala Lumpur...