At the window facing west, I grow a bitter melon, a vine plant to block scorching sun. Not only being a sunshade, it provided me a small bitter melon. I sautéed it and ate with beer. Yummy!This summer, Tokyo terrible heat has not begun yet. We have record long rainy season (because of global weirding weather?) . I just can’t stand this moisture. Muggy, just muggy….So since July, I have worn only a hemp kimono. With instant nagajuban, thin cotton, no wide sleeve. Obi is 苧麻 I don’t know how I translate it but Jim Breen says it is ramie (an Asian flowering nettle) (Boehmeria nivea). I like this ensemble because it’s the coolest of mine. Do you think grey-green doesn’t fit summer season? We prefer dark color in summer because dark color provides us coolness, impression-wise. That’s why there are many indigo yukatas.
For me, the biggest concern in summer is not town heat but cockroach. May be both are related and recently, big cockroaches sneak into my house often. Every time I screamed as if I were killed but no help. I’ve finally found this might be the best solution. 木酢液 Jim Breen says nothing, wikipedia says it is pyroligneous acid http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyroligneous_acid
By my direct translation, it is wood vinegar. I spray it at my leaning and always a bit opening terrace door. Since then, no cockroach appears. This wood vinegar also works for stray cats that regard my backyard as a rest room. 木酢液 wood pyoroligneous vinegar works well! Because somebody said, it smelled like burnt wood so scared insects and animals. No cocroach and cat shit shows. For human, only me? it’s not so bad smell.
3 comments:
I love your obi! Is ramie common among kimono fabrics or rather an expensive and rare comodity, like basho-fu?
I think dark colored textiles in general attract sunlight and that's why I avoid wearing them in daytime.
I do not know how wood vinegar smells, but I am planning to find out :) I like strange smells :)
I hope Tokyo weather improves soon.
I like your kimono and obi, but I have to agree with Ume Bloom. I avoid wearing dark colors in summer because it attracts heat. I like wearing light colors :)
Thank you for your comments.
I think
苧麻 karamushi ramie is rare but not so expensive like basho-fu. I got my ramie obi from Yahoo Japan auction so it was really reasonable! However, it is too long as for a Nagoya so I tie it like a fukuro obi.
Yeah, dark colors attract sunlight so dark color kimono is transparent and shows white nagajuban. It looks cool.
Post a Comment