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Hunting for kimonos at Sensoji Temple
Why did I go hunting for kimonos at Sensoji Temple? It wasn’t my original plan. I went for the Sanja Festival’s Daigyoretsu. According to the website I consulted, it should have started at 1 pm. When I arrived, I discovered it would begin at 6 pm, but I couldn’t wait until then. Yes, I needed something to do!
So, I thought I’d wander the temple grounds and hunt for kimonos. It is the season for them now. In the warmer months, you’ll see people wearing them or yukatas.
Of course, I have seen lots of photos of people in kimonos on the internet and on Instagram. But it was the first time I had photographed them in such a situation. Let me tell you; it wasn’t easy. But like all things in life, it gets easier if you do it more. Now, I’m very tempted to do it more.
Actually, I’ve never used to be interested in kimonos. Yes, they can be colorful. I photographed some at a fashion show. But they have never grabbed my attention until now. They finally caught me.
I’ll have to study more about kimonos. Like most people, I know the basics, but there have many parts. Things like sode, eri, and obi are pretty well-known. I had never heard of koshihimo and tamato until I started writing this article. Maybe I should learn?
They were challenging to photograph. I didn’t want to pose anyone, as I wanted candid photos. But everyone kept moving. It was hard to keep up at times.
The other problem I had was trying to catch people at suitable points. I wanted to photograph them under the Hozomon Gate or any recognizable spot. But the subjects don’t always cooperate! For some strange reason, they suddenly decide to walk in a random direction. Or they might turn or stop and start chatting together. They did the darndest things to ruin my photos.
Still, I had fun doing it. And it’s another thing I plan to do more from now. Summer is looking very exciting. Anyway, let’s see what happens.
So this time, I realized Sensoji’s Sanja Festival won’t be run as usual. I plan to go on Sunday, but I’m not sure of its format. My idea is to turn up and take things as they come. Probably the event will be much smaller than in previous years. I guess it will be less lively too. We’ll see what happens.
For more fashion articles, look at:
For an interesting kimono article, look at:
- Do You Know Your Kimono Parts? (external website)