Japanese Traditional Footwear and Umbrella

Zori - traditional Japanese footwear:A traditional Japanese footwear is not seen that often these days, as it is usually only worn with other traditional clothing, Zori are sandals made from rice straw or lacquered wood and are worn with a kimono for formal occasions.

There are other kinds of Japanese footwear other than the Zori. Geta are raised wooden clogs that are worn with the informal yukata. Geta are most often seen these days on the feet of sumo wrestlers. You will most likely hear them before you see them as they make a distinctive clacking noise as the wearer walks. This is sometimes mentioned as one of the sounds that older Japanese miss most in modern life.

Another kind would be the waraji, and you may see the occasional Buddhist monk wearing wearing them. Waraji are sandals made from straw rope that in the past were the standard footwear of the common people.

All three designs allow for free circulation of air around the feet, a feature that probably came about because of Japan's humid climate.

Japanese Traditional Umbrella:
A Wagasa, Traditional Japanese umbrellas, made of bamboo and Washi （Japanese paper）, is delicately collapsible inward with its elaborate open-close movement.
With its production beginning in the Kamakura era, it became popular among the public during the Edo Genroku era.

1. How to carry Wagasa
You can hold and grasp the head of the body: Hold a string attached to the head for a Janome Gasa umbrella, or a leather string held at the head in case of Ban Gasa umbrella. Be aware that it easily opens if you hold the handle and put it upside down like a western style umbrella.

Japanese Fashion "COSTUME PLAY"

Japanese Costume Play: Cosplay is a Japanese subculture centered around dressing as characters from manga, anime and video games, and, less commonly, live action television shows, movies or Japanese pop music bands.

The term is a Japanese contraction combining the words "costume" and "play" which accurately describes the hobby of having fun by dressing up as one's favorite characters. Besides dressing up for public events such as anime conventions, it is not unusual for teens in Japan to gather with like-minded friends just to do cosplay.

The main difference between cosplay and costuming in the United States is that in Japan people typically dress up as characters from Japanese animated films (anime), Japanese comics (manga), or Japanese video games, as compared to dressing up as Star Trek characters or in Renaissance-era costumes. The other difference is that most costuming in the United States is centered around particular events such as conventions or festivals.

Cosplay has spread across the world in recent years, joining with costuming at science fiction conventions in North America and Europe.