July Guide Sign

YUKATA（an informal, light, unlined,cotton kimono）is worn in summer.

Recently it is getting popular among young ladies in the variety of designs and brilliant colors.

It is basically dyed indigo blue (aizome) using white cotton.

Aizome is produced using a very old coloring technique passed on from centuries ago in Japan.

It’s a dye which is made from plants leaves and goes through lye fermentation with only natural materials.

Indigo is one of the oldest plant dyes in existence, first brought to Japan about 1400 years ago.

Since it was very valuable in an ancient time, only persons of the privileged classes could put it on.

In the War Period (1467-1568),the samurai wore the aizome clothes under their armor because of its antimicrobial and deodorizing effects.

Over time, aizome materials were more commonly used by people from the Edo Period (1603-1867).

Cotton and indigo dye matched so well that aizome dyed items became a part of Japanese life.

Even famous “Ukiyoe” ( floating world paintings) artists like Hokusai and Hiroshige used indigo pigment.to depict that era.

Fermented indigo is alive and breathing.

Aizome can create various shade of blue depending on the dyeing time

and the level of fermentation. ranging from “aijiro (indigo white),” the lightest shade closest to white, to “noukon (navy blue),” the darkest shade closest to black,

The popularity of aizome which is time consuming to make, declined for a while.after synthetic indigo appeared.

However, aizome items have been revalued recently as beautiful Japanese traditional handicraft.

Its deeper and more fascinating color attracts people nationwide and worldwide,as exemplified by popularity of Tokyo Skytree, a new landmark in Tokyo.

Its body color is “aijiro”

https://nicjapanese.com

Japanese language Lesson Complete Beginners’ Saturday Course【Level 1 Step1】

Japanese language Lesson Complete Beginners’ Saturday Course【Level 1 Step1】

Saturday  /13:00-15:00
June 24 – Sep. 9(except July 15 & Aug.12)

Tuition Fee : 43,200 yen for 10 lessons (4,320 yen per lesson)

If you are interested please contact us by e-mail.
info@nicjapanese.com

May Guide Sign

At this time of a year, many companies in Japan begin announcing their financial results

for the fiscal year that end.in March.

Recently 100-yen shops get attention for their increasing their business performance.

Combined sales at top four operators are projected to grow

by over 20% to an estimated 660 billion yen ($5.85 billion) last fiscal year of 2016 compared with five years ago.

Their history goes back to street venders dealing with 100-yen items in the 1970s.

The first directly-managed 100-yen shop in Japan opened in 1991

and now the total outlets number of major three 100-yen shop chains is now roughly more than 6,000 nationwide.

At present 100-yen stops are the fourth-largest retail category in Japan,

ranking behind only department stores which are long-established.

¥100 shops have captured customers nationwide offering a wide range of surprisingly high quality items

for 100 yen –almost everything from household basics to cosmetics.

Products are their own store branded goods, and usually manufactured in developing countries,

but some even made in Japan.

The concept is not unique to Japan, but the Japanese character might favor it.

The Japanese like new things. To increase repeat customers, they have continued to evolve and taken on new challenges.

The Japanese 100-yen shop is now a perfect place for people who are not just frugal in a shrinking economy,

but searching for something to add a touch of style to their daily life.

Seeing is believing. Visit a shop ,and you’ll find your fixed ideas of what can be got for \100 be broken.