No73

Dear Customers & Friends
Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No 73.Today is Sunday, I am in the office now alone. After a long interval, I have a complete rest day. ( On November almost all Sundays I had to go to auctions.) Now with large volume of jazz, I am writing this mail news with joy. What a complete holiday for me! If it was spring, I had to go fishing to rivers, but I must wait for a few months for river fishing.A little whole ago, Yuka called me and said 'Today's dinner is nabe. Please come home at ten.' 'Nabe' means Japanese pan, and nabe-dish is one of the most popular dishes in winter. I don't know how to say nabe-dish in English, but there must be the similar dishes all over the world. We throw fish food, fish food and vegetables in a big pan at the center of the table, and boil up with soy sauce and soup. There are many variety of material and soup. People sit around the tables, and enjoy cooking and eating together. Cooking is easy ( only cut the materials ), and cooking and eating are fun, and it warms us up. Any kinds of pan can be used for nabe-dishes, but best pan for nabe-dishes is 'donabe', which means casserole made of pottery. When I was a buyer of Japanese table ware division, I had to go Iga ( near Shigaraki ) to buy best donabe from a craftsman every year. I still think donabe by Mr. Fukumori is the best. Here is photos of his donabe. http://oishii-web.hp.infoseek.co.jp/mawari/93.htmhttp://www.rakuten.ne.jp/gold/yobi/tokushu/tokushu_12/These pottery have chic and natural taste, and have great charm for us. If you come to Japan in winter, let's enjoy donabe cooking with us.
By the way sometimes we are asked about kimono cleaning. Here in Japan, there are two ways of cleaning kimono. One is called 'maru-arai', and another is 'arai-hari'. 'Maru-arai' means ' wash (arai) whole(maru) kimono' as it is. Kimono is washed with dry-cleaning fluid, just same as cleaning suits of dress. It had been said bad way to clean kimono, but recently the technique of dry-cleaning become sophisticated, and it is one of the good way to clean kimono. It cost approx 50USD for a kimono. But prominent stains are often not cleaned by the way, so for the removing of prominent stains, we must pay approx 30 USD for each stains.Another way to clean kimono is 'arai-hari', which is the perfect washing way for kimono. Kimono is unsewn all stitches, and fabrics are washed by water ( 'arai'). It is dried with stretched('hari'), and returned to the condition as it was new. When it is sewn to kimono, it can be justified the size. But imaginably 'arai-hari' cost expensive. To be cleaned with 'arai-hari' cost about 150 USD, and if it is re-sewn to kimono, it will cost another 150 USA. Both ways need professional technique, so we are always puzzled when we asked how to clean kimono. We think the best way to wash kimono in your place is consulting laundry man and ask him to hand wash by dry-cleaning fluid.
I am very sorry but time is coming! I must go home to eat Nabe-dish tonight. I will get up early tomorrow morning and list new items. We will list some kimono, cotton and bolt. We are very happy if you could check new arrivals about 6 hours later.And I would like to ask you. Have you checked these special items ? One is exceptionally rare sashiko-shoubou-banten ( antique firemen's jacket) and another is rare Yuzen Uchikake from Taisho period. Both are the our highly recommended items. If you haven't check them yet, please enjoy the photos of them. http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2.php?number=69940 http://www.ichiroya.com/item/list2.php?number=69907
Thank you again for reading to the end! Have a nice Sunday!
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