Men's Nagajuban with Oshun and Denbei

Kimonos: Mirrors of a Man’s Life. The kimonos on view here afford a glimpse into the lives of Japanese men from around the 1910s to the 1950s, from childhood to adulthood. This was a period of great change for Japan, marked by increasing industrialization and political conflicts culminating in the Second World War. Life modernized, technology advanced, and people took up new hobbies. Traditionally, men’s outer clothing tended to be reserved and a solid colour. Clothes could nevertheless also be a medium for highly unusual depictions which, however, were not visible to everyone. While motifs adorned the exterior of children’s garments, they were hidden from view in those worn by adult men. The decoration was found on the inside: on a long under garment, or the lining of a jacket (haori). This concealed imagery divulges the lives of the owners at the beginning of the 20th century.