No 142


Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.142.It was a lovely and sunny Sunday. We saw some women using parasols toavoid the sunlight. `Bihaku` is the keyword you hear most often now inJapan - it means `whitening`. Skin-whitening products and UV productshit the shelves and you can see many women with hats or parasols(or longgloves)in Japan.Today, Ichiro is in Kyoto to meet another craftsman(a Yuzen dyer), and I(Yuka) am writing this e-mail. I sit in front of my computer almost all day but I am not good atoperating computers at all. Sometimes my computers behaves badly and verymean to me, but when I ask Kayo or Mami for help, the computer worksjust correctly. They think I am crying wolf all the time.Regarding our website, we have added revision once in a while but stillcannot be perfect at all. I would like to add some things which may notbe described clearly in our website- and if this becomes helpful tosearch the things you like I will be very happy. For the next revision,your advice will be very much appreciated.
The categories of our items are shown on the left of the top page butthere are quite many pages for each category, so to narrow and reach theitems you like faster, there is a search corner on the right of the toppage.* If you are looking for a certain type of kimono, for example, a formalblack kimono to wear, then you can choose `kimono section' at Item pulldown menu. If you know the word `kurotomesode', it is easier but if youdo not know the word, you can enter key words as `black, formal' and soon. If you have any request about size, history, fabric, condition &price, choose what you like.(Regarding size, kimono sizing may be quiteconfusing, so if you could e-mail us directly, we will be happy toanswer any questions)The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to check ` Only selling now'. It meansit shows the things available. If you do not check here, the both `sold` itemsand `on sale` items show. We are sorry this expression must not beappropriate, We will be revising to show this point more clearly in thefuture. When you want to see the things on sale only, please check here(Only selling now).
The reason we have `sold` items remaining for a while(usually sold itemsremain one week and then deleted automatically), is we often receiveinquiries about the items which appeared on the site. To identify theitem which are inquiring about, the sold items remain for a while. Weare sorry this may be making it inconvenient, and thank you for yourpatience and consideration.If you browse each page and when you want to go back to the top page,you can always click the logo mark to go back to the top page.To see the new arrivals, please click the items of New Arrival corner.
Since we have started our website, our fixed idea has been blown awaymany times. Obi as a table runner? Kimono for interior display? Haori asa jacket with other clothing? Wearing a haori inside out? Shibori fabricmade into a dress? All these things seem to be very natural now but tobe honest, everything was a big surprise at first. We found ourcustomers were wonderful decorators, designers and stylists using kimonoand fabrics and learned so much. Many customers thank us for introducingJapanese culture and traditional items but you are the ones who enhancedthe possibilities of these old and traditional Japanese clothing.By re-creating, many kimono and fabrics were reborn to be used again.
We want to introduce the two charming people who are doing thisre-creation of kimono and fabrics in Germany. Their company's name isSAI SO and SAI SO literally means to recreate, and this is their website:http://www.saiso.de/Please try the wonderful movie of their new collection for the comingseasons. Martin san and Gabriella san make this alluring and stylish company. Martin san who is from `music` field and Martin san's wife Gabriellasan who works as a movie producer and also works with Martin san are creatingfantastic fashion items using old kimono fabrics. We had an opportunityto meet both of them in April and are charmed by their friendliness andopen mind. Martinsan's encounter with kimono fabrics was a long time agobut he never imagined he would be working with kimono, but his career inmusic and art field led him to the new world of recreation using thesevery old fabrics from Japan. Some handembroiedered flower motif fromvintage kimono are reborn as one point of a fashionable dresses, andfamily crest becomes like a subtle but stylish accent of shirts. Like awonderful fusion music, they create dresses, jackets, accessaries andinterior products which are highly fashionable
Thank you very much for buying tiny traditional scissors made byFujiwara san. He is very happy that his scissors are sent to all overthe world - when our stocks are all sold, it may take some time ( acouple of weeks to a month) but he says he will be happy to make morefor you, so please contact us any time for more scissors.His scissors are basically for sewing(cutting threads and fabrics) butyou can cut paper too, however if you cut paper often with the scissors,it may be better to add some oil(machine oil or salad oil)to keep theblade not to get too dry.
We are adding kimono, furisode and fabrics(including charming patternBingo kasuri)tomorrow. We will be very happy if you have time to check our new arrivals.We wish you a happy new week, antatani totte yoi issyukan dearimasuyouni.Domo arigato gozaimasu.
Ichiro & Yuka WadaKimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"http://www.ichiroya.com
e-mail: info@ichiroya.comaddress: Asia-shoji Bldg.301 1841-1 Nishi 1 chome Wakamatsu cho Tondabayashi city Osaka 584-0025 JAPANTEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446