Date & Time: Sunday, January 14, 1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Spot: JICA Yokohama Building, Japanese-style Room
Visitors: 13 JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) participants from 5 countries (6 Vietnamese, 3 Burmese people, 2 Cambodians, 1 Moroccan, and 1 Indian) (8 women and 5 men)
Attendants: 13 KSGG members in Kimono Dressing Team
Languages: English and Japanese
Kimono dressing event was held for JICA participants at JICA Yokohama. It was the first event since KSGG Kimono Dressing Team had been established. The female participants tried either a Furisode (Long-sleeved Kimono) or a Komon (Kimono dyed in fine patterns) and the male participants experienced putting on a Kimono and a Hakama (Loose-legged pleated Japanese traditional bottoms). On the event day, as some participants cancelled and some joined on the spur of the moment, our team members were busy as a bee for the preparation for sets of Kimonos as well as the coordination of the schedule at the last minute. At first, we were to divide a room into two parts using fusuma (sliding door) and have male and female participants put on Kimono at the same time. However, as the number of the participants changed, we found it difficult to have men and women put on Kimono together. So we hastily decided to start dressing men 30 minutes later than women. Fortunately, as a team member could notify the participants about changing the schedule one hour before the starting of the event, we smoothly dressed the male participants in Kimono without having them kept waiting. After having put on Kimono, during the break, all of the participants went out and enjoyed taking a walk. After the break, they returned to the Japanese-style room and took group photos at the end of the event. The first event was a great success for the Kimono Dressing Team, which pleased us very much. The members of the Kimono Dressing Team are willing to devote themselves to this kind of activity in the future as well.