I accidentally participated in the kimono competition for Kanto Region and World event. They were asking for foreign competitors in my Japanese class. I noticed the application deadline had already passed, but they said it was fine. So apparently they were desperate for any foreigners to participate in the competition. I turned in the application, just for fun.
World competition is not the entire world. It was really only Japan.
I was in the Foreigners Division.
I learned so much about dressing the furisode (long-sleeved kimono). Furisode kimono is for young unmarried girls. When the kimono teachers asked me what type of kimono I wanted to wear for the competition, and I answered furisode, the teachers were kinda taken aback. In their minds, they were thinking, "How old is she? She is not young or unmarried?"
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| Kimono World Competition 1 |
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| Kimono World Competition 2 |
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| Kimono World Competition ticket |
For Kanto Region competition, there were four foreign competitors. I came in no. 3 (trophy on the right).
For World competition, there were two foreign competitors. I came in no. 2 (trophy on the left).
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| Trophies |
This experience really helped me with my stories.
The kimono teachers know how to sew and mend kimono. They also got up and close when they taught me how to tie all the ribbons around. For my Redemption sequel, I'd like to have a seamstress character, and she got up and close to measure a man to make him clothes.
Two of the foreign women competitors married Japanese men. I'd like to have this in The Wedding Vow series. A man and a woman came from different countries. She dressed in the traditional clothing of the man's country. He was completely mesmerized by her beauty and stammered and couldn't say anything coherent to her.