S and I carpooled over to Niisato about 50 minutes away via the expressway to start our kimono wearing experience! We were renting kimonos from Kimono Factory there. I missed a branch in the expressway (as per usual) so we ended up being a bit late. I tried to take the next exit, but it was an ETC only exit and luckily S can speak Japanese and could tell the guy we made a mistake. We continued in the wrong direction for about eight kilometers before the next proper exit. Again S explained, and the guy stamped my ticket and took down my license plate so that when I drove through the opposite side without taking a ticket again, I wouldn’t get fined. It was really nice not to have to pay extra like I normally do.
After some really rural country roads, we arrived at this cute house. There was even a loom inside along with kimono cloth, bags, and other wonderful decorations. Everyone was already dressed and looking fantastic! I was wearing my wool long underwear, fleece tights and an extra shirt under the kimono. Two older ladies dressed me so quickly! Only 10 or 15 minutes? I was shocked by the amount of layers. I never knew so many things go underneath the kimono. The ladies were so sweet there. They even made a new kimono for P because they don’t carry them in her size anywhere. That was the beginning of the non stop photo tour, ha. I dumbly forgot my camera at home, but everyone else took a ton of photos!
We all piled into cars and drove the short 5 minutes to the train station. It was really hard getting in and out of the car. The other girls and I really hoped we could avoid using the restroom. I felt pretty good because I knew where we had to get on the train and to take the ticket. It pays off always using a non-JR line that has different rules, especially on the weekend. The train was decorated like an aquarium, it was really cool! We got off at Kiryu station, and walked to the main street area and a shrine where there was a flea market going on. Many people commented and asked to take photos of us! So fun. I also got to try some fresh unsweetened soy milk! A hundred times better than the Silk stuff we drink at home.
Then it was time for lunch, trying himokawa udon. It’s udon that is much wider than usual, ours was about 5 cm and a little tricky to eat. Very yummy though! We walked over to this traditional Japanese house that serves matcha. We took some photos outside while others bought jam or honey from a local stand. I had to sit properly while we were served tea, but my legs were not happy. The tea was delicious as well as the sweets we were served. Afterward, they took us on a tour of the house that was quite interesting while S kindly translated for us. We learned about the different staircase shapes, woven wooden ceiling panels, special imported cloth, and the lucky spot in the house that keeps evil out since you can see two mountains at once. Then we hopped onto a little electric bus with a max speed of 20 kmh that took us back to the station.
Back at Kimono Factory more pictures ensued before we could bear to take them off. It was surprisingly easy to remove. Pull a string and the whole obi came undone. Folding it was just like folding the yukata back at Gunma orientation so I remembered how to do it pretty well. S and I took the long back roads on the way to Tomioka and stopped at my Denny’s for dinner. It was my first time ever going to Denny’s (never went in the US), but it was very Japanese - no breakfast items. I had the very Japanese hamburg (hamburger with the bun) with rice for the first time as well. We were both too full for the delicious looking strawberry desserts though.
After some really rural country roads, we arrived at this cute house. There was even a loom inside along with kimono cloth, bags, and other wonderful decorations. Everyone was already dressed and looking fantastic! I was wearing my wool long underwear, fleece tights and an extra shirt under the kimono. Two older ladies dressed me so quickly! Only 10 or 15 minutes? I was shocked by the amount of layers. I never knew so many things go underneath the kimono. The ladies were so sweet there. They even made a new kimono for P because they don’t carry them in her size anywhere. That was the beginning of the non stop photo tour, ha. I dumbly forgot my camera at home, but everyone else took a ton of photos!
Then it was time for lunch, trying himokawa udon. It’s udon that is much wider than usual, ours was about 5 cm and a little tricky to eat. Very yummy though! We walked over to this traditional Japanese house that serves matcha. We took some photos outside while others bought jam or honey from a local stand. I had to sit properly while we were served tea, but my legs were not happy. The tea was delicious as well as the sweets we were served. Afterward, they took us on a tour of the house that was quite interesting while S kindly translated for us. We learned about the different staircase shapes, woven wooden ceiling panels, special imported cloth, and the lucky spot in the house that keeps evil out since you can see two mountains at once. Then we hopped onto a little electric bus with a max speed of 20 kmh that took us back to the station.
Back at Kimono Factory more pictures ensued before we could bear to take them off. It was surprisingly easy to remove. Pull a string and the whole obi came undone. Folding it was just like folding the yukata back at Gunma orientation so I remembered how to do it pretty well. S and I took the long back roads on the way to Tomioka and stopped at my Denny’s for dinner. It was my first time ever going to Denny’s (never went in the US), but it was very Japanese - no breakfast items. I had the very Japanese hamburg (hamburger with the bun) with rice for the first time as well. We were both too full for the delicious looking strawberry desserts though.
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