Proud to Show Kimono and Obi Designs to the World

NITANAI Keiko,
Shop owner, Ginkakuji Tsubomi

There are many “machiya” in Kyoto. A machiya is a wooden house with a narrow but deep frontage that also doubles as a shop at the same time. Since machiya are usually built very close to neighbors’ houses, one of their distinct characteristics is that they have an earth floor and a courtyard in order to maximize the amount of light and breeze entering each room. These days, old machiya are being reconstructed into lodgings or cafés and gaining popularity among tourists.

One of these machiyas contains a shop named “Ginkakuji Tsubomi.” This elegant shop, which is 70 years old, contains more than 1,000 items including antique kimono (traditional Japanese clothing) and obi (belts worn with kimono). Although many people have the idea that Japanese kimono are very expensive, here you can purchase some that only cost 2,000 yen. Kimono dressing classes are held once a week in the far corner of the shop, and Ms. NITANAI Keiko, the shop owner, helps customers to find a well-fitting garment that will suit their needs.

“This job cannot be done just because you are good at fitting kimono,” says Ms. Nitanai, who places a high priority on training staff to instruct customers how to wear kimono. She also explains why she started this business. “I have been interested in traditional Japanese things since my childhood. This may have been because my grandfather used to work in the shipping industry, and I was brought up in a house filled with old items.”

The most difficult aspect of this business is appraising the value of antiques. “For this business, you have to study by looking at many authentic antiques. Furthermore, you should see and touch them, as many times as possible. Deciding on a price is not difficult, as it is usually the customer that does it,” Ms. Nitanai explains.

Partly due to its convenient location, many foreign customers visit the shop. “The other day a French man purchased a nagajuban (underwear for kimono) as a souvenir for his wife. As he took so much interest in the fabric and colors, I was so happy to wait on him. When I ask him, ‘what color ribbon would you prefer to wrap the present?’ he instantly answered, ‘This color, please.’ On the contrary, most Japanese men will say, ‘Any color will do.’

“We can be proud to show the designs Japanese kimono and obi to the world,” she says. “Their quality is proven by the high level techniques used to create them. It must be rare to find a country where ordinary people have clothing that takes a great deal of time to make. We do hope that more foreigners will come to like Japanese cloth and kimono. It brings us great pleasure when our customers are pleased to purchase a good and inexpensive kimono.” In autumn 2007, she is scheduled to open a new shop with a parking lot in Uji. They hold exhibitions for their antiques in various regions once or twice a year, and are now planning to exhibit them overseas as well.

Ginkakuji Tsubomi
www.wagire.com

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