japanese calligraphy

Islamic Calligraphy has arguably become the most reverenced form of Islamic art. It provides a link between the languages of the Muslims with the religion of Islam. The Muslim calligraphists have great contributions in taking this Islamic art to this zenith. The holy book of Islam, Al-Qur an, has played an important role in the development and evolution of the Arabic language, and by extension, calligraphy in the Arabic alphabet. The famous Islamic artists have created Arabic calligraphy of supreme quality. Till today, The chief sources for Islamic calligraphy are the proverbs and complete passages from the Holy Qur'an. In modern times, the supply of Islamic calligraphy has also become a flourishing Islamic art business.

Islamic calligraphy is a visible expression of the highest art of all for the muslim. It is the art of the spiritual world. Calligraphy literally means writing beautifully and ornamentally. Islamic calligraphy is the art of writing, and by extension, of bookmaking. This art has most often employed the Arabic script, throughout many languages. Since Arabic calligraphy was the primary means for the preservation of the Qur'an, Calligraphy is especially revered among Islamic arts. The work of the famous muslim calligraphers were collected and greatly appreciated throughout Islamic history. Consideration of figurative art as idolatrous led to calligraphy and abstract figures becoming the main methods of artistic expression in Islamic cultures. Contemporary muslim calligraphers are also producing the Islamic calligraphy of high artistic quality.

Calligraphic scripts

The Kufic script is the first of those calligraphic scripts to gain popularit. It was angular, made of square and short horizontal strokes, long verticals, and bold, compact circles. For three centuries, this script had been mainly used to copy the Qur'an. The cursive Naskh script was more often used for casual writing. This script had rounder letters and thin lines. It would come to be preferred to Kufic for copying the Qur'an as techniques for writing in this style were refined. Almost all printed material in Arabic is in Naskh. The Thuluth would take on the ornamental role formerly associated with the Kufic script in the 13th century. Thuluth is usually written in ample curves as it has a strong cursive aspect. The Persians took to using Arabic script for their own language, Persian after their conversion to Islam. The Ta'liq and Nasta'liq styles were contributed to Arabic calligraphy by the Persians. Nasta'liq style is extremely cursive, with exaggeratedly long horizontal strokes. The Diwani script is a cursive style of Arabic calligraphy. It was developed during the reign of the early Ottoman Turks (16th and early 17th centuries). This outstanding Diwani script was both decorative and communicative. Finally, Riq'a is the most commonly used script for everyday use. It is simple and easy to write. Its movements are small. In China, a calligraphic form called Sini has been developed. This form has evident influences from Chinese calligraphy. Hajji Noor Deen Mi Guangjiang is a famous modern calligrapher in this tradition.

Calligrams

The most Islamic of arts in the Muslim world, has also its figurative sides. The muslim calligraphers have produced wonderful anthropomorphic figures by interweaving written words, made from an "Allah", a "Muhammad", a "Bismillah", etc., or using micrography. These include , ('Ali, the Ideal Human of mystics, a praying man, a face), (Duldul, horse of 'Ali, horse ('Ali's Duldul), fish, stork or other bird (the qur'anic Hudhud) and unanimated representations (a sword (Dhu al-Fiqar) and a mosque. Calligrams are related to Muslim mysticism and popular with many leading calligraphers in Turkey, Persia and India from the 17th century onward.

Pakistani Islamic Calligraphy

Pakistan has produced Islamic calligraphist of international recognition. Sadeqain is on of these international fame Islamic calligraphist. He was an untraditional and self-made, self-taught painter and calligrapher. He did a lot of work on Quranic calligraphy. Many other contemporary Pakistani calligraphists like Gul Gee have created great contemporary Islamic calligraphy. These days, Islamic calligraphies of Tufail and Uzma Tufail are getting very much popular both in Pakistan and all over the world.

Islamic Calligrahpy as an Islamic Gift

The Muslims love to adore their homes, offices and places of their work with the Islamic calligraphy. The Islamic calligraphies especially the verses from the Holy Quran and the verses from the sayings of the Holy Prophet are considered to be very sacred to muslims. Islamic calligraphy indeed make the perfect gift for a muslim for any special occasion. A muslim can send an Islamic gift of Islamic calligraphy to congratulate his relative or friend on his new home or new office or on his birthday or wedding ceremony or on Eid Festival.

What You Should Know.

Before you purchase your wedding invitations or correspondence stationery, you need to become familiar with paper quality. The quality of paper you select is very important. Not only because premium paper makes for a more lovely presentation for your recipient, but excellent quality paper is critical if you are using professional, handwritten calligraphy for your envelopes.

The Heirloom.

Your wedding invitation is your heirloom keepsake. Choose stationery that won t fall apart over time. For example, 100 percent cotton or linen is best. If you are hiring a professional calligrapher to address your wedding envelopes, then avoid the following: thin papers like those of inexpensive greeting card quality, papers made with wood pulp, and handmade or recycled papers. Calligraphy ink may bleed on handmade and recycled stocks.

What to Avoid.

Try to stay away from dark papers or the use of liners in your envelopes. The most formal wedding invitations, at one time, were not accompanied by lined envelopes. Liners have become more popular recently, this is true. However, I often wonder if liners were introduced to create the illusion of substance to mask otherwise thin paper. If you choose heavy weight premium paper, then a liner is not necessary. If you are sold on liners, because you wish to incorporate your wedding color into your invitations, then consider instead: a silk ribbon tied around the invitation with a parchment overlay. Or print an envelope seal in your wedding color on the back flap of our outer envelope. Monograms make wonderful envelope seals. Lastly, because dark colors and liners make envelopes opaque and can also affect writing results, calligraphers may charge more to address these flavors of envelopes.

The Toughie.

How do you choose premium paper? Stationery is usually measured in bond weight. A good piece of paper is thirty-two or forty-pound bond. And hundred-pound offset is roughly equal to forty-pound bond. Heavy cards should be made of three-ply stock. Ask your vendor about their paper quality if you are unsure. Also, here are two great tests for paper quality for envelopes. Hold the envelope up to the light. Is the envelope feathery, very thin and extremely easy to see through? Can you write on it with a good fountain pen, or does the ink bleed? Professional calligraphers use fountain and dip inks. I always tell my clients, Exquisite calligraphy can only be achieved on the finest paper.

In Sum.

Choose a reputable wedding vendor for your wedding invitations and correspondence. And remember, if the quoted prices are too-good-to-be-true , then the paper and calligraphy most likely are not.

Before the beginning of the 20th Century little had been written about calligraphy except The Story of the Alphabet by Edward Clodd and Maude Thompson's fine work on Greek ana Latin Paleography together with his volume on English Illuminated Manuscripts, published in 1895 and out of print before 1906. But since the time that Edward Johnston published his book on Writing, Lettering and Illuminating a steady stream of works upon all aspects of the subject have been written; probably it was because of the interest aroused by the pioneers in the practical side of the craft that this flow of literature occurred, both here and in the United States.

The following are among the most important. The British Museum published a guide to the collection of manuscripts they had in 1906. About the same time John W. Bradley was publishing illustrated books on illuminating, its history and development. During 1907 the British Museum published Reproductions of Illuminated MSS., a series of fifty collotype plates. In 1920 W. A. Mason published in New York a work of considerable scholarship dealing with the subject of picture writing in the Americas together with the growth of letter-form in Egypt, Phoenicia, Babylon, Assyria, Crete, Greece and Rome, a book of great interest to all who wish to study the formation of alphabets.

With the development of photography and process reproduction the range of examples showing epigraphy and paleography has increased to a degree unthought of during the early days of the century. During 1932 B. L. Ullnan of the University of Chicago published Ancient Writing and Its Influence, which brings the history of the alphabet more up to date and includes some observations on the Sinai stones, which may eventually help to solve the riddle of the alphabet. Professor E. A. Lowe of Oxford wrote in The Legacy of the Middle Ages a chapter on "Handwriting" which deals with its growth before the time of Charlemagne. This is an excellent essay, which should be known by all serious students of calligraphy. James Wardrop of the Victoria and Albert Museum has also written on "Palatino and His Circle" in Signature, No. 14, 1952.

World origins and development of alphabets are also dealt with in great profusion by D. Diringer, a scholar in these matters. The French just before the war of 1939-1945 issued some newly discovered material in plates dealing with early specimens of the written small letter under the title of L' Eicriture Latine by J. Mallon, which takes history back earlier than Maude Thompson's great work.

Finally among the smaller and more recent publications comes the "King Penguin" on the subject of writing by Alfred Fairbank, which makes a rapid survey from the fourth to the twentieth centuries; and some beautiful photographic reproductions of the detailed work of twelfth-century artists taken from the Winchester Bible by Walter Oakshott.

From about the year 1930 writing and lettering had made such progress that it had become a subject in the training of Art Teachers and was taught by the immediate followers of the two who had given their lives to its cause. Lettering of Today, first volume, published in 1937, showed the work of some of these who had taken up the craft and were in their turn passing it on to the new generation.

As the art itself has progressed, so has the literature representing calligraphy. The aforementioned books are great historical references, but technical books that will walk you through the art of calligraphy are also available.

The calligraphy pen is a simple tool that takes considerable application to master. Some pens come with little added extras which may also take some time getting used to.

Some calligraphy pens come with a detachable reservoir and some are permanently fixed. A calligraphy pen reservoir is a little piece of metal fitted to the calligraphy pen nib that increases the amount of ink it holds. You’ll find that it will give you a more even flow of ink. It will also reduce the frequency with which you will have to recharge your pen while working.

The calligraphy pen reservoir might be a detachable piece that can be removed for refilling or cleaning while other pens come with the reservoir permanently attached. Both have their pluses and minuses, but using them is just a matter of trial and error and becoming accustomed to the new tool.

Although a detachable reservoir gives you an easier pen to clean, you also have the responsibility of reassembling the pen carefully. Allowing the reservoir to protrude from the nib will reduce the quality of the ink flow and your work will suffer.

A top-mounted reservoir can prove to be a distraction for some people because it can obscure the vision to the writing edge. There are options available to over come this, such as the Mitchell Roundhand Series pens which have the reservoir permanently mounted to the holder sitting underneath the nib.

Care must also be taken when recharging the reservoir that is permanently attached to the pen. Turn your pen upside down and, either with a paintbrush that has been dipped in ink or with an eyedropper , add the ink to the widest part of the nib. This will allow the ink to fill the space between the nib and the reservoir. Make sure the upper side of the pen nib is ink-free.
Careful application of ink to the nib and reservoir will ensure you maintain a smooth, even flow when lettering and you reduce the risk of leaving large ink blots around your work surface – your lines will be consistently wide.

To clean the reservoir, slide it off and simply rinse it under running water. Soak the nib in a special solvent (such as Higgins Pen Cleaner) overnight and then take an old toothbrush to it to get it clean. Take the soaking nib the next morning and rinse it in cold running water before drying it thoroughly with a towel.

When buying a calligraphy pen with an attached reservoir make sure that you have a close look at the nib and reservoir settings to ensure that the tip of the reservoir hasn’t been bent away from the nib. The flange of the reservoir should sit lightly on top of the pen with little excess air space visible.

As with all important tools, the more care you take with maintenance of your pen, the longer it will remain in good working order.

Animation does not have any boundaries that can be seen. These boundaries are present in the minds of the creators. Each of the creators of animation will have their own styles of drawing their creations. Some of these will be the hugely popular Japanese animation series and movies.

In each of these programs you will see how people and animals of fantastical looks deal with life in different situations. These situations will be different based on the medium which is used to portray these Japanese animation scenes. You will see that the forms of animation are different for cartoons, movies and even for video games.

While many of elements of Japanese animation are somewhat similar to that of other countries, the culture and social behavior of Japan is seen quite clearly. There are many areas of life that can be seen being explored in the realms of animation. While some of the animation stories are taken from anime series and Manga comics there are others which come straight from the creative minds of the movie making team.

In these the storylines you will see that the characters acting in ways that show how they feel about situations that happen around them. While some of the reactions are comical there are others that will make you empathize with the characters.

The mark of a successful Japanese animation can then be said to be an animation that draws you deep inside. You will understand how the beauty that is found in life can be used to showcase the feelings and scenes are occurring around the central characters. While these characters are of primary importance there are many other aspects of these Japanese animation movies and shows that you will enjoy seeing.

The main item that you will notice in Japanese animation is the exaggerated feelings which are displayed to us via large teardrop shapes near the eyes. Panic can be shown as arms frantically waving around and the mouth open wide in terror – but not the scary kind – and you feel like laughing at what is happening to these characters.

One good example of seeing this type of behavior will be that of Sailor Moon. Here you will find the entire range of details and action sequences which make Japanese animation what it really is.

By looking closely at these different Japanese animation programs you will see how the similarities of life are portrayed within these shows. Some of the sensitive issues that you will see happening around us can be explained by Japanese animation.

Are you browsing the local dealerships for a decent car? This can be a rather tedious process. Especially with all those fast-talking car salesmen involved. What's with those cheese-balls anyway? Well, first of all, a source you may not have considered is the good old World-Wide-Web. This is a great place to begin your car shopping. You can simply pop open your search engine of choice and gain access to a variety of dealerships.

Countless Models - Huge Variety

Now, the big question remains; what kind of car are you shopping for? The fact is you may not exactly know yet. You probably have narrowed the general stuff down, such as sports car or luxury sedan, mini van or SUV. That is typically the easy part. However, a larger question concerns where your car is made. I typically prefer a Japanese vehicle, and let me elaborate why.

My very first car was American. I know what you're thinking; way to go, support our country. Yeah well, don't be so hasty. It was a Chevy and didn't exactly prove its worth. I had more trouble with that car than I wish to discuss. (Sounds familiar?) After two years of disgruntled ownership, I sold the Chevy and purchased a Japanese vehicle. The car was a Mazda Miata. Yeah, yeah, I've heard all the jokes on how small they are, bla bla bla. Regardless of its compact size, this car ran like a dream.

That's the way it should be with all cars.

And I'm not just referring to its handling. I owned this car for eight years and experienced no big problems. Just simple maintenance stuff. I was astounded by the Japanese vehicle. The funny part is, my brothers all had Fords at the time, and didn't particularly care for me owning a Japanese vehicle. They gave me the whole; "You're not supporting your country" speech. No offense, but who is? Half of this nation shops at Wal-Mart, which is filled with products from China.

In more recent years I have to laugh at my brothers, who all now own a Japanese vehicle of some sort. After my oldest sibling's trip to Iraq a few years back, he adopted a completely new perspective regarding American cars. They don't hold up well. He said he was amazed at how poorly the Fords did over there, and yet all the Toyota Forerunners kicked butt on any terrain. So of course this is now his Japanese vehicle of choice.

You can't argue with cold hard evidence.

Get online now and search for your new Japanese vehicle.

You can't beat good quality.

Tempura, sukiyaki, sashimi, sushi – even the words used to describe the most basic of Japanese dishes are exotic and beautiful. Japanese cuisine is easily one of the healthiest in the world, with its concentration on fresh fish, seafood, rice and vegetables. The pungent sauces and delicate flavors of fresh foods complement each other beautifully, and the methods of presentation turn even simple meals into beautiful events.

The Japanese have easily a dozen different names for rice, depending on how it is prepared and what it is served with. The most common meal is a rice bowl, a bowl of white rice served with various toppings or ingredients mixed in. So popular is it that the Rice Bowl has even made its way into the world of Western convenience foods alongside ramen noodles. Domburi is a bowl of rice topped with another food: domburi tendon, for instance, is rice topped with tempura and domburi gyudon is rice topped with beef. The Japanese adopted fried rice from the Chinese, and a century ago, when curry was first introduced, developed Kare Raisu, curry rice. It is now such a popular dish that there are many fast-food restaurants that serves several versions of it in take-away bowls.

Besides white rice served as a side dish, Japanese cuisine also features onigiri – rice balls wrapped in seaweed, often with a ‘surprise’ in the middle, and kayu, a thin gruel made of rice that resembles oatmeal.

As an island nation, it’s not surprising that seafood is featured in Japanese cuisine. Sushi and sashimi both are raw fish and seafood with various spices. Impeccably fresh fish is the secret to wonderful sashimi and sushi, served with wasabi and soya sauce. The Japanese love of beauty and simplicity turns slices and chunks of raw fish into miniature works of art. Fish sliced so thin that it’s transparent may be arranged on a platter in a delicate fan that alternates pink-fleshed salmon with paler slices of fish. Sushi is typically arranged to best display the colors and textures to their best advantage, turning the platter and plate into palettes for the artistry of the chef.

Traditionally, meat plays a minor role in the Japanese diet, though it has been taking a larger and larger role over the past fifty years as Japan becomes more westernized. Beef, chicken and pork may be served with several meals a week now. One of the more popular meat dishes is ‘yakitori’ – chicken grilled on a skewer and served with sauce. A typical quick lunch might include a skewer of yakitori and a rice bowl with sushi sauce.

In an interesting twist, Japan has imported dishes from other cuisines and ‘Japanized’ them, adopting them as part of their own cuisines. Korokke, for instance, are croquettes adopted from those introduced by the English last century. In Japan, the most common filling is a mixture of mashed potatoes and minced meat. Other Soshoyu – western dishes that have made their way into Japanese everyday cuisine include ‘omuraisu’, a rice omelet, and hambagau, the Japanized version of an American hamburger.

Whoever said Japanese food is merely all about sushi and sashimi may be in for the biggest gastronomic surprise of his life. While these offerings may lord over the tables in most Japanese restaurants around the world, there exist a wide variety of cuisines and food specialities in Japan that visitors to this country would definitely enjoy as part of their adventure into exploring the culture. The perfect way to sample these would be to take a delightful tour of the restaurants that dot the landscape of bustling cities like Tokyo, Hokkaido and Kyushu as well as in rustic provinces like Tohoku.

The restaurants in Japan may be classified according to their cuisine offerings. There are restaurants that typically offer a broad range of dishes. Most commonly found are the Izakaya - informal dining places that offer dishes such as the robata (grilled food), salads and other types of food served in small portions and shared all around the table. It is also a common watering hole for most Japanese. There is also the Teishoku-ya, popular among lunch crowds and busy executives for the set menus or teishoku. A set menu would typically consist of a bowl of rice, a main dish and some side dishes. For those on-the-go, there is udon and ramen (noodle) to be had in mobile food stalls found along busy streets called Yatai. You can also try to spot a Rotensho or those temporarily constructed food stalls along the streets which offer yakisoba or okonomiyaki (Japanese savory pancakes).

If you are in the mood for just one type of food you can almost be sure there is a Japanese restaurant that specializes in that. Sushi restaurants (Sushi-ya) in Japan are typically cheery, brightly lit places where a sushi chef prepares fresh seafood, meat, vegetables and other ingredients in front of the customers, turning them into scrumptious, tender morsels. A different twist to the sushi bars would be restaurants like the kaiten-zushi where the sushi dishes are loaded onto a conveyor belt and customers can just pick up their selections from it. Although there may be a wide array of sushi dishes which you can find on the belt, you can still order anything from the menu and at the end of the meal, your bill will depend on the number as well as the color of the plates (prices are usually based on the color of the plates the dishes are served in) on your table.

For noodle aficionados there are also different choices. You can go to a Soba-ya, specializing in udon and soba noodle dishes. The noodle dishes in a soba-ya are mostly served cold with a dipping sauce in the summer, or hot with various toppings during the winter season. The Ramen-ya typically offers Chinese style noodles called ramen served with various toppings and in a signature soup stock that each ramen-ya would be known for. Craving for deep-fried dishes? Then head to a Tonkatsu-ya, a restaurant specializing in tonkatsu or deep-fried pork cutlets and korokke, deep-fried savory croquettes.

To experience a truly authentic Japanese gourmet experience, you should go to exclusive and expensive Japanese restaurants often referred to as ryotei, or a restaurant specializing in Japanese haute cuisine called kaiseki ryori. This is a simple and elegant cooking style that is closely associated to the art and flair of the tea ceremony.

Foreigners need not be homesick for their own cuisine as Japan is a melting pot of different cultures and flavors. There are restaurants that offer American style food, Korean, Italian, Chinese and other Western type of cooking, not to mention the ubiquitous hamburger joints. Indeed, there is something for everyone in Japan.

One of the most popular sports in Japan, baseball, is about to start its new season soon and is well worth catching a view of even if you are not an avid fan. Japan's professional baseball season is from April to October. There are two leagues in Japanese professional baseball: the Central League and the Pacific League. There are six teams in each league. The winners from both leagues meet in the Japan Series in October. In July, two or three All-Star games are held by best players from two leagues. Also, exchange games between two leagues called koryu-jiai are planned every year.

This has been the main event where some or most of the Japanese community become one, They unite or sometimes bet on either teams, however this is the instance where all Japanese people gather in one place and together cheer for their favors. This game has always been compared to other games that exists in the country but still, statistics showed an unfavorable result. Also to other countries this is being mostly compared.
It's going to be so much fun to see popular baseball teams and players. If you are living in Japan or visiting Japan, plan to go watch a baseball game near you. You can contact each team's ballpark. Here are the details of the main teams/stadiums:

Central League

Yomiuri Giants Ballpark: Tokyo Dome

Chunichi Dragons Ballpark: Nagoya Dome

Yokohama Bay Stars Ballpark: Yokohama Stadium

Yakult Swallows Ballpark: Gingu Stadium

Tokyo Hiroshima Toyo Carp Ballpark: Hiroshima Shimin Stadium

Hanshin Tigers Ballpark: Hanshin Koshien Stadium

Pacific League

Fukuoka Soft Bank Hawks Ballpark: Fukuoka Yahoo Dome

Seibu Lions Ballpark: Seibu Dome

Golden Eagles Ballpark: Full Cast Stadium Miyagi (Sendai)

Chiba Lotte Marines Ballpark: Chiba Marine Stadium

Orix Buffaloes Ballpark: Osaka Dome

Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1872 by Horace Wilson, and the first formal team was
established in 1878, and it has been a popular sport since. It is called Ò°Çò (¤ä¤ ¤å¤¦; yaky ̈±) in
Japanese, combining the characters for field and ball.

It is played at all age levels but most widely in junior high schools and senior high schools. In March and August, two tournaments are held in Koshien Stadium for senior high school teams that win a prefectural tournament.

The highest level of competition is Nippon Professional Baseball, started in 1920. It is called Puro Yaky ̈± (¥×¥íÒ°Çò), meaning Professional Baseball.

In 2005 the Japan Samurai Bears began play in the Golden Baseball League, becoming the first Japanese team in an American professional baseball league.

Introduction:

Japan boasts of one of the youngest whisky industry in the world. The first distillery was established in 1923, and it is only in the last 30 years or so that its products have come to the attention of whisky drinkers other than the Japanese themselves.

History:

The model for Japan’s whiskies is single malt Scotch, but there are other successful spirits as well, made in the tradition of blended scotch. The base is a mash of malted barley, dried in kilns fired with a little peat. Some of the brands are aged in used sherry or bourbon casks, like done in scotch; others are stored in heavily charred new American oak barrels, like the bourbon itself. Most of the distilleries buy in a proportion of unused Scottish spirit for blending in with the homemade whisky. The most famous brands are generally bottled at around 43% ABV.

Suntory, the major drinks company, which is involved in making of all sorts of drinks from classed-growth Bordeaux to the green melon liqueur Midori, is also the biggest producer of Japanese Whisky. Suntory produces almost three fourth of the country’s total whisky production. Nikka Company ranks after Suntory in production. The smaller producer Sanraku Ocean and Seagram’s also has a significant contribution in the production of Japanese whisky. In Japan, normally whisky is taken diluted with water. Scottish people like to have their whisky in 1:1 proportion; the Japanese prefer to take it with a lot of water, in tall glasses and with plenty of ice. This is the most denatured form of fine whisky, which is commonly taken, all over the world. In Japan whisky is drunk both as a aperitif and also as an accompaniment to food.
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Japanese people are keenly aware of the four seasons, and the clothes they wear are always in keeping with the season. The Japanese are also very tuned in to the stages of their lives. Special events are held to mark milestones in children s growth, for instance, and people change their kimonos to fit both the season and the occasion. The history of the kimono is a long and intersting one, and although the modern Japanese rarely ware it on a daily basis, these beautiful garments are still used for a number of occasions and ceremonies.

Between 30 and 100 days after a child is born, the parents, siblings, and grandparents visit a shrine together to report the child s birth. The baby is dressed in a white under-kimono. On top of that kimono, the baby wears a brightly colored yuzen-dyed kimono if it is a girl, and a black kimono decorated with the family crest if it is a boy.

Another key event in a kid s life is the Shichi-Go-San ( seven-five-three ) Festival, which takes place in November. On this day, parents take their five-year-old boys and seven-year-old or three-year-old girls to the local shrine to thank the gods for keeping their children healthy and making them grow. The kids are dressed in kimonos for this occasion too.

At the age of 20, young people celebrate their passage into adulthood by visiting a shrine on Coming-of-Age Day, the second Monday in January. For this occasion, girls wear furisode (kimonos with long flowing sleeves) and boys wear haori (half-coats) and hakama decorated with their family crests.

Furisode kimonos are worn only by unmarried women. Once upon a time, young Japanese women declared their love for a man by fluttering the long-flapped sleeves of their furisode kimono.

At weddings, the bride wears a pure white kimono known as a shiromuku. The color white signifies the beginning of a journey. Once a woman is married, she no longer wears a furisode. Instead, she wears a tomesode, a kimono with shorter flaps on the sleeves. The tomesode can be either black or another color. Black tomesode with the wearer s family crest on them are reserved for formal occasions, such as the weddings of one s relatives. Colored tomesode can also be worn on formal occasions, but they do not always have the family crest on them. A key distinguishing feature of tomesode (both black and other colors) is that only the fabric on the bottom half of the kimono is decorated with a pattern.