RESEARCH General Arts

JAPAN
Events will illuminate art, culture and history of the kimono

Melissa Mitchell, News Editor
(217) 333-5491; melissa@uiuc.edu

9/1/03

An example of the juni-hitoe, an exquisitely crafted kimono that dates to Japan's Heian Court Era and is still worn today by members of the country's Royal Family.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Westerners with even cursory knowledge of Japanese culture probably could identify the kimono as a traditional article of clothing worn by the Japanese people for centuries. What they may not know, however, is that the kimono is more than a functional, or even decorative, garment: It is Japan’s national costume, and is regarded as an art form.

The art, culture and history of the kimono – in all its splendor – will unfold for American audiences in September as ambassadors from the Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Schools of Japan travel to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Art Institute of Chicago to better acquaint Westerners with kimono culture and couture. Kimiko Gunji, the director of the university’s Japan House, is the mastermind behind "Kimono Fantasy 2003," a program that includes, at Illinois, a semesterlong museum exhibition of historic kimonos and a performance-demonstration featuring traditional Japanese costumes from the Heian Court Era (A.D. 974-1185) to the present day. The exhibition, "Luxurious Layers: Kimonos of the Heian Court," will be on view at the Focus Gallery of the university’s Spurlock Museum from Sept. 27 through Dec. 13, with related events planned throughout the semester. The performance-demonstration is scheduled to take place at 2 p.m. on Sept. 28 in the Colwell Playhouse, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts.

A few days later, the show – and an accompanying exhibit – shifts venues to the Art Institute of Chicago. That program, "Wrapped in Fashion & Kimonos on Stage," will be presented at 5 p.m. on Sept. 30 in the institute’s Fullerton Auditorium as part of Chicago’s U.S.-Japan 150 Festival.

"Japanese people in their everyday life developed the art of kimono, which has a rich history that evolved through many centuries," said Takayoshi Mizushima, the chairman of the Cultural Foundation for Promoting the National Costume of Japan and the president of Hakubi Kyoto Kimono Schools, the sponsors of the traveling shows and exhibitions. According to Mizushima, the contemporary kimono is a distant cousin to the original kimono, a plain white, small-sleeved undergarment, the kosode, which dates to the Heian Era. Today’s more elaborately designed kimonos are reserved for celebrations such as weddings and graduations. Among the kimonos that will be featured in the upcoming programs are the juni-hitoe, an exquisitely crafted garment dating to the Heian Era, which is still worn today by members of Japan’s Royal Family, and the furisode, a garment with flowing sleeves, worn exclusively by single women.

Gunji said she has long been motivated "to share this time-honored Japanese traditional art with people outside Japan. My aim is not only to shed light on this aspect of Japanese culture, but also to help others cultivate their refined artistic sensitivity through the kimono. Thereby, I hope to promote cross-cultural friendships and contribute to world peace through shared appreciation of these glorious costumes."