Kimonos in Japan - A post by Hillarie

Simply put, Japan is an amazing country. The people are unbelievably polite, kind, and courteous. The historic sites are world-class, stunningly beautiful, and interesting. The Japanese design sensibility is clean, minimal, and in my mind exquisite. In short, I loved Japan. I would go back in a second and would love to spend an extended period of time there either travelling the country or maybe even teaching English.

One of the particularly beautiful things we saw in Japan were the kimonos. Although this Japanese traditional dress is worn mainly for special occasions, tourists have the opportunity to "rent a kimono" to experience the beauty and elegance of wearing this garment as they strut their stuff on the streets of Tokyo, Kyoto or Kanazawa.

During our few days in Tokyo, we met up with our friend Saori from Japan. We spent a wonderful couple of days with Saori, being toured around Tokyo and shown the amazing sights. As a surprise for Zach, Max, Sadie, and Kyuss, Saori decided to rent the kids kimonos for the day. And not only did the kids get to try the kimonos on, but they were able to walk around the streets of Tokyo showing off their new style for the afternoon!

When we first heard of this "surprise" for the kids, Dennis and I were unsure how the Zimmermann boys would react. While they are usually game for just about anything, we weren't sure whether or not they would have the confidence to wear a kimono as they toured around Tokyo. So when we arrived at the Kimono rental shop, Dennis and I quickly made our getaway so that we didn't have to face their discomfort when they learned of their afternoon plans.

Well, well, weren't we surprised as the kids emerged in all of their glory!

They looked absolutely amazing!! And the even bigger surprised happened when we started to walk around Tokyo. The kids felt great! Sadie felt absolutely beautiful and the boys felt handsome. They all started to have a swagger in their step.

And Zach found an increased confidence with the girls!

Throughout our time in Japan we saw many kimonos. They added such a beauty to the already beautiful landscape. They added tradition, depth, and interest into an already amazing place.

At the end of the afternoon wearing the kimonos, the kids didn't want to take them off. Regular clothes felt ugly and boring. The kids didn't feel quite as beautiful and handsome as they felt before. The day got a little less interesting. The sky not quite as blue. Zach said that next time he visits Japan he is going to rent a kimono and wear it for the entire day not just the afternoon!