Description

Kimono schools have existed in Japan since around the 1970s in reaction to the decline of kimono. Before WWII, kimono was a very common daily thing, but after WWII a lot of Japanese families were suffering economically, and either they could not afford new kimono, did not have the ability to repair kimono themselves, or they were forced to sell kimono in order to gain the financial means to survive. Western clothing, which was much cheaper and easier to wear, was introduced into the local Japanese market and from that point, Japan transitioned into wearing Western clothing on a daily basis and kimono became more of a thing reserved for certain formal occasions such as Shichi-go-san, weddings, and Coming-of-Age ceremony.

There is no singular authoritative school for kimono, there is no ‘one kimono school to rule them all’, and as such different kimono associations focus on different things. Some kimono schools require two or more years of study before you can get your license, some require only one. Some kimono schools are famous for teaching speed dressing and other schools are famous for teaching things such as Japanese royal kimono dressing. Not all schools offer the same thing, and not all schools teach the exact same way to tie more common obi musubi (obi knots). As a result, some people learn from only one kimono school and some people learn from as many kimono schools as possible. It’s up to you!

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