A kimono for the spring, the komon.

||-Spring. It was in spring time when they met, she and her love. He is always fighting, always at war and away from her. She knows he will come home though. She prays for it every night, curling her slender fingers, one over the other, as she kneels before the kamis. Today, she strolls among the falling sakura and the trees burst with blooms of pink and white. A smile crosses over her pale pink lips as she remembers him taking her hand gently, and placing a kiss softly on her skin. For a samurai, he was extremely gentle with her, and for all his cold fierceness, she knew he could be warm. She watches as a gust of wind tosses blossoms in the air and pushes butterflies that flew around her. Would he come home before the last sakura fell from the trees? She truly hopes so, but for now, her soft smile, the pink blossoms and the trees will keep her company.-||




There are various types of kimono for all kinds of occasions. Refer to my table in an earlier blog. -Occasions- One such kimono I would like to highlight is the komon. It is a simple kimono that by definition has many fine patterns throughout the fabric. It is also an informal kimono for the most part, but you can dress it up with a formal obi. Both married and unmarried women can wear the komon. Mostly it is worn as a travel kimono. What better kimono to go Hanami viewing?

The komon I have here from GD or Geisha Dreams is an Edo komon. Edo komon have a special dyeing technique that originated with the Samurai class in the Edo period. This kimono can be worn for traveling and visiting others as a formal informal garment. You can find it now at GD for 200L.

Kimono: Cherry Usuai Komon at Geisha Dreams

April is the time for Sakura Festivals, or Cherry Blossom Festivals.

Usually from March 25th to April 4th starts the beginning of many Sakura or cherry blossom festivals in Japan. Viewing blossoms is what the Japanese call, hanami 花見, or literally, "flower viewing". I'll talk more about Hanami later. So, April has many festivals that include viewing Sakura at various castles and shrines, they also have parades and people dressed in early period custumes.

Why don't we have festivals like this? lol Well, we don't for our country, but we do have many Sakura Festivals in the US that celebrate that Japanese tradition. Washington DC holds an annual Sakura Festival at this time; so does Philadelphia as well as San Francisco. You might want to try going to these festivals one day, because you will see many people dressed in kimonos! Children and adults all wear kimono's during the festival.

Washington DC National Sakura Festival (Washington D.C., Va.)

The Northern California Cherry Blossom Festival (San Francisco, Ca.)

Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival (Philadelphia, Pa.)


There are a few other cities in the U.S., but these are the major ones. ^^ If you live in one of these cities, go check them out and enjoy Hanami!

In SL there more places for Hanami viewing, one of them is the Pluto Cherry Blossom Fesitval. It started March 27th and will last until May 1st. The trees are incredible and they have several places to take pics with poses. Hanami is much more enjoyable when you're with someone you care about. My fiancee and I took some pics there. Hope you like them ^^!

Pluto's Cherry Blossom Festival

I'm wearing Mare Sakura kimono and he's wearing Kabukokimono from Barerose Tokyo.