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Japan’s kimono-makers in hi-tech mode to attract customers

AP - Tokyo

For centuries, Japan’s kimono-makers have relied on stencils, paint brushes and hours of manual labour to turn out their elaborate and graceful creations.

Kimono designer Yuko Iwakuma uses some more up-to-date tools: A computer and an ink-jet printer. Iwakuma is one of a new breed remaking the ancient Japanese art of kimono, relying on computers to make kimonos with brash new designs and then sell them on the internet.

The hi-tech kimonos, which Iwakuma designs at a shop in central Tokyo and her colleagues print in Kyoto, go far beyond the flower and bird designs of tradition, abounding with keyboards, playing-card kings and queens, puppies and apples.

“When i was looking for kimonos several years ago, I realised that designs available were quite different from what I wanted,” Iwakuma said at Tokyo’s Okinu-Ya-San, or ‘Silk Shop.’

Iwakuma’s tastes are having a broader appeal: Okinu-Ya-San - which started selling on the internet in December - sold more than 100 kimonos and lighter-weight “Yukata” robes in August alone, impressive sales considering modern Japanese only wear the elaborate dress at weddings or other special occasions.

Time-honoured designs are considered old-fashioned by younger trend-conscious Japanese, and properly wrapping yourself up in a kimono - a process that can take an hour or more - is considered these days to be a hassle. Another major issue is price. A nice kimono can easily cost US$ 2730 and can go as high as tens of thousands of dollars - all for something that is rarely worn.