FURISODE

Furisode - The formal kimono

When a young Japanese woman turns 20 years old, she is recognised as an adult. She has the right to vote, is responsible for any crimes and is allowed to smoke and drink (officially).

Many parents buy the Furisode for their daughters to celebrate this significant point in a young woman's life. Furisode is a formal kimono for single women, it is brightly colored and made of very fine quality silk. In the very modest Japanese society wearing a Furisode is a very obvious statement. It is a very loud and clear advertisement that the single woman is available for marriage.

You can click on the images on this page to see a larger version.

One of the major points of difference with the furisode are the long sleeves. In these pictures they may appear to be short, but they are actually very long. The sleeves go right to the ground.

Furisode are mainly worn for major social functions such as wedding ceremonies or tea ceremonies until they get married. Depending on the quality of the materials, design and workmanship, a furisode normally costs around A$15,000 for the whole outfit.

The second Monday in January is a public holiday called 'Adult Day' and many young women attend a ceremony wearing their Furisode kimono.

Next Kimono is the Yukata.