{"id":163,"date":"2010-01-01T22:31:41","date_gmt":"2010-01-02T03:31:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moonblossom.net\/blog\/?p=163"},"modified":"2010-02-01T16:24:11","modified_gmt":"2010-02-01T21:24:11","slug":"hakuna-hakata","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/moonblossom.net\/blog\/2010\/01\/hakuna-hakata\/","title":{"rendered":"Hakuna Hakata"},"content":{"rendered":"

First off, happy new year to anyone reading this! I hope the coming year is safe, healthy, happy, and filled with beautiful things.<\/p>\n

But now onto the actual point of this entry – my love affair with hakata-ori (hakata weave). Guess who watched The Lion King recently? XD I don’t know many people who collect kimono who don’t appreciate the supple, geometric beauty of hakata textiles. I do know one, but she’s silly.<\/a><\/p>\n

Hakata<\/a> is a beautiful distinctive woven textile from the city of Hakata in the Fukuoka region of Japan. It’s typically a single thickness, similar in texture to gros-grain ribbon. Generally it’s decorated in a geometric design in a contrasting colour, symbolic of Buddhist treasures. However, more organic or fanciful hakata does exist! I recently missed out on the chance to bid on a white and red hakata obi with fish on it. \ud83d\ude41<\/p>\n

Other terms for hakata weave can include honchiku<\/em> or honchikuzen<\/em> and hira-ori<\/em>, so if you are searching online, try looking for these terms as well.<\/p>\n

For women, hakata tends to evoke a more casual feel, although geiko commonly wear them with more formal kimono. Men, however, are lucky and the bulk of men’s kaku obi are made of this sort of textile.<\/p>\n

My personal collection of hakata textile is small, but I hope to change that eventually. All of the hanhaba obi<\/a> I own at the time of this entry are hakata. I also own several fukuro-width obi of various formality levels.<\/p>\n

Cream ro hakata fukuro<\/strong>
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\nA soft creamy-white synthetic ro hakata. It’s technically fukuro, but the only ro kimono I currently own is a komon, and when folded in half this obi could easily pass for being something more casual. That’s part of the magic of hakata.<\/p>\n

Green and gold hakata fukuro<\/strong>
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Proof that you can indeed dress up hakata. This is a rich slightly blue-leaning green with white and soft gold weaving. It’s not yellow, it’s definitely gold-coloured, and definitely too dressy-feeling for a casual outfit. It has the perfect blend of vintage “laissez-faire” and modern dressy feeling for the vintage furisode I wear it with.<\/p>\n

53 Stations of the Tokaido<\/a> hakata nagoya<\/strong>
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This is a particularly special piece to me. Within my kimono collection, I collect items with the 53 Stations of the Tokaido<\/a> motifs. I found this one online and as soon as I’d saved enough money to purchase it, I found out someone I know online had beaten me to the punch. Through the kindness of said person and Yuka and Ichiro at Ichiroya<\/a>, it found its way into my grubby little hands. Geometric hakata, organic hakata, and Tokaido motifs! Gleeeee!<\/p>\n

Last, but definitely not least I have the two non-traditional hakata obi Naomi<\/a> sent me in a box of goodies. I’ve yet to coordinate these with an outfit, but I will soon!<\/p>\n

Pale and dark pink fukuro<\/b>
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\nTwo soft, dusty shades of pink with white, black and yellow accents. I love how fun this one is. Definitely on the more casual end of things, I’m considering pairing it up with the purple yabane komon I bought on my birthday<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Orange and pink fukuro<\/b>
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This is such a fun and unexpected colour combination. A similar dusty pink to the previous one, mixed with a bright reddish orange and vivid green. I honestly have no idea what I’m going to wear this one with, it’s a challenge!<\/p>\n

That’s it for my hakata, for the time being, but damned if I won’t be getting more eventually!<\/p>\n

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