My recent reading report. "Joy of Wearing Kimono [
Kimono no Yorokobi]" by Mariko Hayashi.
林真理子著「着物の悦び きもの七転び八起き」に感激。
I was impressed by the author's kimono teacher, Mizushima sensei. In every group of people who are known as "kimono experts" (kimono wearing
kitsuke teachers, tea ceremony teachers, or ordinary elder Japanese ladies who daily wear kimono), there are quite a few who love criticize how younger generation wear kimono. When encountering young girls in kimono on the street, those elder ladies either flock together to criticize their fashion or even approach those young ladies to correct their obi or kimono or coordinate, etc. However, Mizushima sensei was different. She knew both the importance of appropriately wearing kimono and the significance of developing in a positive way her kimono students. Mizushima sensei, even when she saw the auther's obi was flipped up after coming back from the ladies' room, stopped another kimono teacher to correct it in public. Mizushima sensei chose not to embarrase the augher in front of other people, but let the auther know when there was nobody else around. In a community where tradition and formality are valued rigidly, this caring heart of Mizushima sensi is something worth of a high praise. If more young ladies had met a teacher like her, more young generation would have been interested in kimono life.
感激したのは著者の着付け教師、水島先生の話。着物の世界にはどこへ行っても、お直しおばさん、ないしは批評おばさんというのがいる。若い人が着物を着ているのを街角で見かけると、仲間のおばさんと集まって批判をするか、もっと強烈な方々はその若い人に近づいて着付けを直したりする。しかし、水島先生は違った。著者が化粧室帰りに帯の「て」がせりあがっていたのを見て、別の着付け教師が人前で直そうとするのを制し、「林さんが恥をかきます」と言ったとのこと。伝統やしきたりを重んじるきものの世界で、かくもすばらしき心づかいである。こんな先生にもっと多くの若い世代が出会えていたら、さぞやもっと多くの若者が着物を愛したことだろうと、惜しまれてならない。
