Kimono Collection: White Fukuro Obi Woven Sensu

I want to have an obi which will be suitable for every kimono and accessories I have today and in the future. So after some meticulous searching in one of kimono store, I decided to buy this white sensu obi. This obi also has phoenix, kikkou and embroidered flowers motifs. I'm happy with it since this obi can go with any kimono and accessories I have. I will post the kitsuke with this obi soon. To date, I've been wearing this obi twice. One with my bunny hitoe black komon and one with my stripe hitoe chocolate komon. Both of the komon are non-import ones.

This obi has no core but I don't think the fabric is sloppy. I still need to use obiita though.

Attending Jogja Japan Week 2012

JJW in JNM, July 5, 2012 posing in front of iriguchi with Dinda ^_^

I want to wear kimono more often in 2012. That's why, during the Jogja Japan Week (JJW) Yogyakarta - Kyoto Sister Province, I deliberately dressed up in kimono. Previously, I wanted to wore my new navy blue yukata, but finally, I decided the one wearing my navy blue yukata appeared to be Dinda ;). I already wore the navy blue yukata to one matsuri in Bantul and since I didn't enjoy the matsuri, I barely remembered the name of the event. I also didn't documented my yukata at that time since I felt reluctant myself. That event wasn't great.

So, let's talk about JJW. I never went to JJW before nor the two years before this year (2012). For your information, JJW is held every two years - counting it binually, 2014 JJW will have omikoshi and bon odori from what I heard. I don't know if I can attend the 2014 JJW. Speaking of which, this event was opened by the Governor of Yogyakarta and the Japan Ambassador for Indonesia, Sri Sultan Hamengkubowono IX and Yoshinori Katori respectively.

Dinda, my partner in kimono crime coincidentally visited Yogyakarta during her vacation week. She didn't stay in Yogyakarta for long period of time. I asked her whether she would accompany me to JJW and she said okay. I dressed her up with my yukata. She loved getting dressed in yukata and confessed that she would attend one of her friend's wedding with that yukata. Not appropriate indeed but since most of the people doesn't aware of the proper kitsuke, she would give it a shot. Dinda wore navy blue yukata with purple hanhaba obi. Dunno...she chose purple over white. My hanhaba obi Dinda wore has reversible side: purple and white. Dinda felt excited and happy to wear yukata, this was her first time ever. But hey! She could do good pose in yukata. We had trouble with her yukata since the hem was slipped down often. I think I tied the koshihimo rather loose at that time. So I decided to redo all of her kitsuke once we arrived in Jogja National Museum. Thank goodness, I managed to get her kitsuke well. She felt comfortable with her revamped kitsuke.

As usual, I wore my red yukata. And this time, I omitted the green pre-tied obi (which I actually abhor) and wore my black and chrysanthemum hanhaba obi. Oh...I also wore my self-made heko obi. My hair got disheveled and I got all sweaty since the museum are without air conditioner. Moreover the matsuri was cramped with people ^__^. Speaking of which, Dinda was gotten drawn with one of manga artist there and since I was hungry like I could eat a whole zebra, I decided to get some food for my tummy orchestra first. JJW was held for about three days. However, Dinda and I only attended the first day. The last day was cramped with cosplay from what I heard.

Spring Room - with tatami, shouji and sakura blooming and garden background

Posing with some of girls in yukata

Winter Room - with bunny, traditional house background

Posing with some of the participants. Hakama guys are cool!

In front of the main stage ^__^

My First Kitsuke Ever

I finally decided to post this picture of my first kitsuke ever. It was a fiasco. To date, I still feel that shivering feeling running down to my spine every time I see this picture. Full of embarrassment to the point I should put this meme:

I didn't know why I had that kind of confidence to dress myself up to one of my kimono collection. I know I already loved kimono since I see it for the first time. And what made me more dreadful was that I got a professional photoshot. I did the photoshot in on of professional studio hahaha! What a bold move! Wondering how to wear it was my first drive to love kimono. During my early collage day, I had a chance to get a set of yukata, the simplest and the most informal kimono ever exist in this planet. A set of yukata consists of a yukata, two koshihimo and a pre-tied obi. To date, I dislike pre-tied obi - especially the one I will put into yukata. I prefer a non-pre-tied obi which I will regard it as an obi only - just obi :D.

The first yukata I bought was a red with computerized roses. The fabric was from a bed sheet. I can guarantee it a hundred percent since I found the mark in the seam. It's okay. I love the yukata anyway. I started learning how to wear yukata by finding some decent references from internet. Yukata dressing isn't hard (see...it's the simplest kimono after all). But...everyone once a beginner so I had difficulty adjusting the hem, the collar, the sleeves, the oshahori and almost everything hahaha! Seriously...without the tutorial from the youtube, I guess I didn;t know what I was doing. I was glad that the collar was aligned in a correct way. First and common mistake from the beginner was usually the collar alignment. The correct one is left over right ;). Okay, now, I present you my dreadful kitsuke pictures. See them below ;). I didn't get the backshot. But I don't think it's necessary since I used pre-tied obi, My collar opening in the back was not adequate enough so thank you for not getting my backshot >////<.

Time to evaluate my kitsuke! The front V-neck opening was too wide. I shouldn't show too much collar bone. I didn't wear any haneri or juban slip, so what was under my yukata was my underwear. Oh God! Why I wrote that for the first time?! Anyway...the collar was misbehave a little, but my concern at that time was doing the ohashori in a proper length. My ohashori was a mess. I think the hem was long enough since I wore my rockability fur boots. I didn't have proper footwear at that time to the point I wore my off season boots. Speaking about season, there was no such thing in Indonesia about seasonality. Indonesia only has two season: rainy and dry seasons :P. So I think seasonality sometimes can be omitted factor.

Hmm...what else? I think the sleeves were dangling weirdly and my poses were all stiff and wadky. Seriously! If I need to point out some issues of my kitsuke problem, I will immediately answer photoshot pose. I need to learn how to pose in kimono. The pose is different compared with taking a photoshot with normal or daily clothes. To boot, I'm not photogenic so I wouldn't complain too much if the result wasn't the best i could hope LOL. Apart from that all, I think I need to give a shot about my hairstyle. Up to now, a bun with hair stick is my favourite hair style everytime I wear kimono. Sigh...I really need variation.

So to summarize all of my first kitsuke, I'm glad I finally boosted myself into dressing in kimono. I already get use in receiving some weird or peculiar look from stranger or even my friend every time I try to dress myself in kimono. I still need to practice and improve my kitsuke.

Bokuchu: 700 Days Us vs Police (revisited)

I've watched this movie many times. The laugh still comes out everytime some specific scenes appear. Seriously, I wonder if there are any guys like them in real life. They are mischievous and hilarious boys. Mamachari, Saijo, Inoue, Jamie, Takaaki, Chiba and Tsujimura were just normal high schooler in a small city (or village). They loved to pull a prank into their environment. After a policeman was stationed in their city, they found a new rival. During their high school days, they tried to challenge this policeman. From pulling off a speed machine with their bicycle into how to make a super stinky material to fool the policeman were some of their wicked plan. The policeman wasn't sit nicely too, some 'revenge' were also launched and the boys counterattacked. Don't mind about their silly and crazy acts since they were destined to take care a serious matter near the end of the movie. It's a nice movie filled with friendship and laughs, sweats and tears of the youth. I recommend you guys to watch this movie. Still my favourite movie, Hayato Ichihara's wacky acting as Mamachari also gave this movie a plus. The other cast, Saijou the pervert master, Chiba the glutton maniac, Takaaki with dozen of siblings, Jamie the pretty boy, Inoue the boy next door and Tsujimura the alien guy made the movie are worth to watch.