Kimono rule: Why is it left over right?
- by MaedaYumiko
- 2 min reading time
Why is a kimono always worn in a certain way?There's more to this rule than just tradition.
When wearing a kimono, the left side is always placed over the right. Many people wonder why this rule exists and what it means.
Today, I'd like to discuss the basic rules for wearing a kimono.
A kimono is worn with the front overlapping.
In Japan, there is an important rule for this:
The left side (from one's own perspective) is placed over the right.
If you look at the patterns on the hem of a kimono, you'll often notice that they are designed to be particularly beautiful when displayed on the left side.
This applies to both men and women.
Why does this rule exist?
One reason lies in practical application.
Since most people are right-handed, items like Kaishi (small sheets of paper) were carried in the chest.
This overlapping method allows a right-handed person to naturally reach into the chest area.
In Japan, a white kimono is also worn at funerals.
By the way: The bride also wears a white kimono at weddings.
Both have a shared meaning:
They symbolize purity and new beginnings – entering a new world.
Marriage signifies the transition from the parental home to a new life.
Death, on the other hand, is the transition from this world to another.
Both are major turning points in life.
I myself had the opportunity to wear a traditional white kimono (Shiromuku) at my wedding – at my workplace at the time, a historical costume studio.
In that moment, I experienced the meaning of the color white anew.
At first glance, weddings and death seem completely different.
Yet, both are connected by the color white.
If one understands death as a form of new beginning, perhaps it can be viewed a little more positively – as part of a larger journey. This makes the idea particularly fascinating.
But now, back to the main topic.
When dressing a deceased person, the kimono is worn differently than in everyday life.
This means: The right side is placed over the left.
This serves to clearly distinguish the world of the living from the world of the deceased.
Incidentally, there are also clothing rules in Europe – for example, that buttons are arranged differently for men and women.
Clothing often seems self-evident, but it carries many cultural meanings. This makes it all the more interesting.