JapaneseTraditional Clothing & Culture.

(From Journal of Japanese Trade & Industry (JJTI))

Byline: Ichida Hiromi

The Palazzo Vecchio in Florence is an Italian Gothic masterpiece constructed at the beginning of the 14th century. The World Heritage palace is located in the historic heart of Florence, which has been a sister city of Kyoto for the past 40 years.

In October 2004, we held a kimono fashion show in the palace in the Hall of the Five Hundred on the second floor, which is decorated with gorgeous frescoes. We were told that it was the first time a fashion show had ever been held there. Before the show, we walked to the palace, some of us in long-sleeved kimonos, others in kimonos worn on formal visits. There were 60 of us, members of the Japan Kimono Development Association, which I chair. When we walked through the Piazza della Signoria, we came upon tourists from around the world. They pulled out their cameras, giving us another chance to pose in our kimonos! The first event on the program was a ceremony honoring a mission promoting economic ties between Kyoto and Florence. Our kimono show was next.

I started off the show by inscribing a poem I had composed for the occasion. Above the stage was a white panel covered with washi paper made in the Kurodani district of Kyoto. The paper was huge - 1.5m high and 5m long! I took a brush and wrote this poem in Japanese calligraphy: Two Rivers The Arno and the Kamogawa: Two rivers giving life To two cities Where history And tradition And the crafts of old Link the past to the future.

Oh rivers! Flow on, Keep flowing Until your waters join together.

Our guests remained quiet while I wrote, but when the poem was translated into Italian I am pleased to report that they clapped enthusiastically.