Obidome：A small universe on Obi

1 Our eyes are attracted to Obidome

Reading the long history of kimono, we can see Obidome had appeared very recently. It is an ornament that people may invented earlier than the Edo period, but even Obijime also appeared at the beginning of the Meiji era.
If you compare the history of kimono to the history of the earth, it feels like the appearance of humankind at the very end.

In the first place, Japan is a country with very few kimono accessories. Magatama (beads made from stones)and bracelets have been excavated from ancient ruins.Comb hairpins are for hair, not for clothes.　Obidome suddenly appeared there at the beginning of Meiji Era.. Moreover, the position to attach is the center of the body, in the middle of the obi. You will definitely pay attention to it, right?

The style of  kimono had been completed only with overlapping clothes. Obidome  appeared there with different materials.Metal and carved wood, bamboo, coral and fangs takes the best position on the obi. Since the middle of the Meiji era, when diamonds and rubies began to be used, these materials must have attracted people's eyes with even more brilliance than others.

As an obidome collector, I even think that kimono clothing can be classified as "before Obidome" or "after Obidome".

2 Obidome talks about the owner
The author's generation is the one in which it was very popular to put the peace symbol on T-shirts. The words written on the T-shirt were rather heavier than now and they expressed the thoughts and messages of the wearer. It wasn't just fashion.

 I think Obidome has a similar role. You can also talk about your tastes and, in some cases, your claims. Have you ever had a chance to talk to a stranger when you were wearing some special Obidome ?
Those who like rabbits watch your Obidome, and a those who loves cats watch your cat Obidome. Their eyes are attracted to your Obidome, And speak to you.

3 Obidome as a communication tool
The Obidome posted here is an entry for the "Obidome Contest" sponsored by the NPO Kyoto Kofu Preservation Society. The application for Obidome was solicited from university students and vocational school students nationwide. Since the applicants were students, it took a considerable amount of time to make them understood what Obidome is.

With the history of holding an Obidome contest for about 10 years, our view of Obidome has greatly changed. Although it is intended for students, we fond judges from academic expert to conduct a strict examination. Every time I witnessed the judging as a secretariat and announced an excellent work, I gradually came to understand what a good Obidome is.
Sometimes the expectations are correct. There is nothing good or bad about Obidome, but there is a wonderful answer when one is asked "What is the Obidome selected in the examination?" That is the words of Mr. Akihiko Shimada, the representative of Clip Co., Ltd., who undertook the judging of the second contest.

“I select the Obidome that allows you to understand the background and lifestyle of the person wearing an Obidome, and I select a work that allows you to communicate with many people. An excellent work has the power to expand the circle of communication to outside."

The small world on the Obi creates associations and connects to the hearts of many people. Kimono is a wonderful communication tool, Obidome also strengthens its power.

[Writer] (Keiko Nitanai: Representative Director of NPO Kyoto Kofu Preservation Society)

[Reference] Obidome Contest: Held 9 times over 10 years from 2010 as a subsidy project for the Kyoto Prefecture Regional Power Regeneration of the NPO Kyoto Kofu Preservation Society. The application was limited to university students and vocational school students, and was held for the purpose of letting the younger generation know about Japanese clothing culture. This contest has been taken over by the Showa Kimono Lovers Association, and we are preparing to resume it by changing the open recruitment target to general writers and having more people participate. [Reference site] Showa Kimono Lovers Association Obidome Contest

Showa Kimono Lovers Association
The "Showa Kimono Lovers Association" pays attention to the high design and technical capabilities of the kimono produced and distributed from the 30s to the 1950s after the war, and by investigating and re-evaluating it, it will be passed down to future generations. I am working for the purpose. I would like to approach from clothing life to lifestyle in general and share that information.