Tag Archives: Ginza

Kimono ladies taking a stroll at Ginza

Posted on 2014/11/18

Taking A Stroll Through Ginza’s Pedestrian Heaven

Ginza is a famous high end shopping district in Tokyo and the best time to pay Ginza a visit is definitely on weekends when the main street is closed off to road traffic. This is called Hokousha Tengoku (歩行者天国 which translates to Pedestrian Heaven. I remember my first experience of Hokousha Tengoku and there’s just something that’s so liberating about being able to roam a main road and zig-zag between the stores on both sides freely! Hokousha Tengoku starts at 12:00 noon and ends at 17:00 evening on Saturday and Sunday. The amount of Japanese wearing kimono in Ginza is just right to let you wear one without looking outright… Read More

Waitress in classic maid apron in Tsubakiya Cafe serving siphon coffee.

Posted on 2014/11/18

Tsubakiya Cafe -Taking a step back in the bygone Taisho era of Ginza-

After roaming Ginza street, we decided to take a coffee break because let’s face it, no visit to Ginza is truly complete without indulging yourself in one of the many cafe Ginza is famous for. The concept of Tsubakiya Cafe (椿屋カフェ店) is to pull you out of your everyday sensation with their European-style interior from the Taisho era. The quiet classical music flowing in the background exudes a calm adult atmosphere. The cafe is named after the tsubaki flower (camellia). For your information, Taisho era (大正時代) is a short era from year 1912-1926 which received influence from the Europe “Romanticism”. Taisho Roman (大正ロマン) is a phrase used to convey the… Read More

Did you notice how the collar don’t sit against the neck?

Posted on 2014/11/04

Little Things about Kimono

Kimono is truly a garment that represents the values etched deep within the Japanese women hearts – thoughtfulness, daintiness and being considerate for others. Here are three lil’ things about kimono that I’d like to share with you guys today. 1) The seductive collar The kimono collar is shaped in a way such that it accentuates the nape, which is considered irresistibly attractive by Japanese men in the past. The layer underneath the kimono, nagajuban (長襦袢) has a slightly harder collar that helps to retain the shape. Personally, this is my favourite part of a kimono! Never crossed my mind such a subtle touch can add so much to the… Read More

Komon (小紋）- a type of kimono

Posted on 2014/11/04

My Kimono Wearing Experience

So… after 5 years in Japan, I finally had my first proper kimono wearing experience complete with hair-set and cute shoes.　 (・ｗ・) The type of kimono we wore is called komon (小紋) which means fine pattern. Komon is characterized by repeated pattern throughout the garment regardless of the size and density or whether the pattern is facing up or down. It is considered as more casual and can be worn around town and for dinner in a restaurant but not for formal occasions such as wedding ceremonies. In other words, perfect for us foreigners to wear and explore the town around without standing out too much. Other more formal kimono… Read More