Kimonos for Everyone

Japan's traditional garment, the Kimono.

Many Japanese would love to wear one,

but that's more of a challenge than you may think.

The reason? They're actually quite hard to put on.

There's also a clear distinction between the ways of tailoring and wearing kimonos for women or men.

But now, new trends are shifting the perception of kimono as old-fashioned novelties,

by offering ways for everyone to enjoy the experience.

They're made to be easy to wear
even if you've never worn a kimono.

It sets the wearer free.

A shift in the world of kimono towards inclusivity,

beyond past barriers of physical disability or gender.

Each January, coming-of-age ceremonies are held all over Japan to celebrate young people turning 20.

On this day, it's common for young women to wear long-sleeved kimonos known as furisode.

Wearing one gracefully requires a many-step process.

The first step is to even out the curves of the body with a towel as padding over the undershirt.

The inner layer is fitted, held in place with sashes and cords.

After adjustments to the overall length, the obi is fitted,

using a variety of additions to add dimensionality to the final look.

With the support of a professional dresser, the entire process takes about an hour to complete.

Good morning!
Nice to see you!

The morning of her coming-of-age ceremony, a young woman visits this dressing studio.

University student Sugimoto Machiko.

Born with cerebral palsy,

she's spent her life in a wheelchair.

I'm so grateful to everyone
who helped me make it to this day.

For people with disabilities like Sugimoto, wearing a kimono has been extremely difficult.

But now, a kimono maker in Tsukuba, Ibaraki is changing all that.

The developer of these kimonos for people with disabilities is Asakura Sanae.

It all started with a kimono for her grandmother, who suffered from partial paralysis.

We've had such a positive reaction.

Even if it seems impossible,
we can find a way.

This is the universal design kimono developed by Asakura.

At first glance, it's just as lovely as a standard kimono,

but it's been made so that anyone, regardless of disability, can put it on in around just five minutes.

The key is that most of the items used in dressing are pre-sewn in, simplifying the procedure.

Incorporating the kimono, under-kimono and other elements,

it's split in half, with the lower half put on like a wrap-around skirt.

The upper part is split at the back, and put on from the front.

The multi-layered and intricate obi, requiring multiple knots and fasteners.

Given its final form in advance, it can then be secured at the back with a hook-and-loop fastener.

With the final decorative sash, it's complete.

It can be worn easily, even by those
who couldn't wear a kimono before.

It frees us from the rules of the past.
Everything is pre-sewn in, so it's easy.

Asakura makes minor adjustments when fitting the kimonos to make sure they look their best.

In places where the body is bent or muscles have atrophied,

adding towels or other padding, it's shaped to suit individual needs.

People in electric wheelchairs have
almost no muscle here, so it's quite flat.

By compensating for that, you can
completely change the final look.

In Sugimoto's case, her shoulders have a different elevation,

and the upper body leans forward and to the left.

Asakura has spent a long time preparing the materials needed to fit the kimono to Sugimoto's specific needs.

The obi was given to Sugimoto by her mother.

Compensating for the tilt in her upper body,

the vertical width of the obi has been reduced to avoid putting pressure on her chest or abdomen.

I'm ready for the ceremony!

The fitting process is complete;

resplendent in her furisode just as she had dreamed of.

You're so beautiful!

Congratulations!

I want as many people as possible
to be able to enjoy this experience.

I try to listen to what people say
and always give everything 120%.

There are also individuals looking to transcend gender norms with a kimono that suits their identity.

Traditionally, there's a clear distinction between kimonos for women or men.

Beyond differences in pattern, color, length, or width of the obi,

the so-called "correct" way to wear a kimono differs based on gender.

Tokyo's Asakusa district.

A street fashion event where participants wear kimono and enjoy walking around town.

Unbound by gender, participants wear whatever style suits them, whether it's meant for women or men.

This non-binary individual avoids the emphasis on the female form in women's kimonos,

dressing in a more masculine style.

On men's kimonos the collar is worn here,
in a higher position.

But for women's it's brought lower,
exposing the neck.

I just don't like this style.

I'd rather have a more genderless look.

This person normally wears men's clothing.

I feel like a male inside.

And when I put it on, men's clothing
just seems to fit, so that's what I wear.

A kimono fitter in Asakusa.

Candy works to transcend the gender binary by promoting genderqueer ways of wearing kimonos.

This new way of wearing kimonos removes the barriers between men's and women's styles.

Candy focuses on teaching a more casual kimono style for everyday wear, and through this,

discovered a demand to wear kimonos of the opposite gender.

People have been reluctant
to openly express their identity.

And some women just found
men's clothing more comfortable.

There were a lot of people
who hid this part of themselves.

Who felt that they couldn't say
that this is what they want to wear.

Here today to learn to wear a men's style kimono is Himukai Akira.

If anything, I just want to look cool.

So I came with a men's kimono I bought
to learn to put it on myself at home.

Although assigned female at birth, Himukai prefers to live unbound by gender,

and ordinarily wears masculine-presenting clothes.

Oh, this is really nice.
Did you get the right length?

No, it's actually a bit too long.

Himukai has a small frame, and has had difficulties finding men's kimonos that fit well.

If you wear it the normal way,
it'll drag because it's too long.

But we can make some adjustments.

The excess is gathered at the waist and then hidden under the obi.

Men often have a paunch,
so the obi front is slightly lower.

This lifts up the back and
is the ideal way to wear it.

Learning how to position the obi
was really helpful.

Now I can wear it just how I wanted.

Researching new business models for kimono,

this is how Professor Yoshida Mari sees these developments.

Kimonos have always been very inclusive.

They suit a variety of body types,
and life stages.

But their image had become fixed.

Expanding this inclusivity,
allowing more people to wear them,

will lead to revitalization of the industry.

I feel strongly that this
is a positive future trend.

Candy also believes that the kimono has huge possibilities.

Kimonos can help us break down
the barriers inside ourselves.

They offer greater self-expression.

To me, kimonos are a symbol of freedom.

January, Coming of Age Day.

Now, a message from Sugimoto Machiko.

Wearing the kimono prepared by Asakura,

Sugimoto takes the stage, representing the new adults in style.

Today we celebrate
the beginning of our adulthood.

I am who I am now thanks to
the support of the adults around me.

For children worried about the future,
I want to serve as a light of hope.

I've felt like I'm in a dream since morning.
I'm so happy, I couldn't believe it was me.

I was able to wear my mother's obi
and if I have a child someday,

even if she's not disabled, I hope
I can pass it on to her in the same way.

The desire to share the joy of wearing a kimono with as many people as possible.

While fully appreciating the weight of history,

through such change we can also create new traditions.

Afterward, Asakura was able to see the video of Sugimoto's ceremony.

You can't just ask the world to change,
you have to make that change yourself.

For anyone wanting to wear a kimono,
I hope we're able to meet someday.