Snow and kimono – a Japanese winter aesthetic
- by MaedaYumiko
- 3 min reading time
This winter is very cold in Germany, and the days with snow continue.
Our children enjoy the snow and spend their days full of joy.
For me, however, the cold is sometimes a bit harsh, and I'm already longing for spring.
It also snows in Japan, of course.
“Snow and kimono” have always been part of a winter aesthetic there.
During the time when kimonos were everyday clothing, life in Japan differed somewhat from life in Germany.
It was also cold inside the houses, and the temperature difference between inside and outside was small.
Therefore, warm clothing and multiple layers were a given.
For people back then, snow was nothing unusual.
It was simultaneously a challenge, a part of everyday life – and an object of beauty.
This perception is reflected in many waka, haiku and ukiyo-e,
in which scenes of snow and kimono are repeatedly depicted.
The white snow makes information about the landscape quietly disappear.
When the background is reduced, the colors and patterns of the kimono stand out all the more clearly.
The slow movements in the snow create a stillness and a feeling of harmony with nature.
I perceive this aesthetic as something profoundly Japanese,
They were born from a long life spent in harsh winters and snowy landscapes.
In the Japanese conception of snow, there is also the idea that
that not everything needs to be shown in order to create space for imagination.
Landscapes covered in snow seem to suppress colors and shapes.
Against this background, the red of a kimono, a deep indigo, or a subtle pattern remain particularly vivid in the memory.
Kimonos are also garments that consciously celebrate the seasons.
Traditionally, motifs with meaning were chosen for winter.
Pine, bamboo and plum represent resilience and waiting for spring.
Nanten symbolizes overcoming difficulties.
The snow circle motif abstracts the snow itself.
On snowy days, people deliberately chose to wear the kimono.
They enjoyed the sound of footsteps in the snow, the still air, and the slower movements of everyday life.
Perhaps this was a small form of luxury – finding the extraordinary in the ordinary.
Even though this feeling has faded somewhat today,
I consider it a particularly beautiful aspect of Japanese culture,
To appreciate not only functionality, but also the quality of the lived moment.
Looking at old Ukiyo-e prints, it becomes clear that
that everyday life itself – including clothing – was understood as something beautiful.
The focus was not on haste and efficiency, but on the question of
how time and space can be consciously and effectively designed.
And the kimono is always a part of this everyday life.
He is one of the things Japan can rightly be proud of.