The Kimono Project: Guess Which Kimono Is Your Country

Guess Which Country This Kimono Represents?

After six years of hard work and with help from all over the world, the Kimono Project finally completed 213 splendid kimonos in July 2020, each of which represents one country.

We have selected our favorite kimonos from the project. Take a guess at which countries they represent.

Highlight the hidden text below to reveal the answers:

1. United Arab Emirates  (a towering skyscraper, a palm tree, a camel, and luxurious ornaments based on the color of the national flag)
2. Republic of Singapore  (the Merlion, Marina Bay Sands, the Botanical Garden, and the national flag)
3. People’s Republic of China (The Great Wall, a panda, peony and plum blossoms, and bamboo)
4. Republic of Korea (hibiscus flowers, Korean magpies, Changdeokgung Palace, and the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress)
5. Arab Republic of Egypt (a papyrus meadow, hieroglyphs, pyramids, and the Nile)
6. Republic of Ghana (rainbow with the color of the national flag, cacao, an eagle, and a crocodile on the Niger River)
7. United States of America (“state flowers” to represent a country that consists of 50 states, an American eagle, a baseball, an American football, Hollywood movies, the Statue of Liberty, and the iconic Apollo plans)
8. Argentine Republic (the Sun of May, the national colors of blue and white, and the Los Glaciares glacier in the Andes)
9. Australia (the Opera House, Aboriginal art and a platypus)
10. Republic of Iceland  (volcanoes blowing out of landslides, hot springs, glaciers, and the most transparent lake in the world）
11. England (theTemple, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, the Tower of London, Stonehenge, and the Royal Observatory Greenwich)
12. Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Royal Palace of Amsterdam, the Dom Tower of Utrecht, canals, and tulips)

 

How did The Imagine One World Kimono Project Start?

The Imagine Oneworld Kimono Project was founded in 2014 by Yoshimasa Takakura, the third-generation owner of a kimono shop in Kurume in Fukuoka Prefecture. The team collected donations via a crowdfunding site and various other sources to fund the design and creation of a unique kimono for each of the 216 countries. For each kimono, patterns were carefully chosen based on the country’s culture, climate, and natural beauty.

Fun fact: the title of the project “Imagine One World” is taken from John Lennon’s famous song “Imagine”: 

Imagine there is no country…the world will live as one.

Through the wonders of kimono and Japan’s master craftsmanship, the project wants to spread Japan’s “Wa (和)” or culture to the world. The “Wa” culture aims to unite everyone together, respecting each other’s cultures. The project lead believes that art has the power to unite people across the world in this way.

The project has showcased its early creations at fashion shows in Tokyo and in the USA since 2014, and has attracted attention from fashion designers from all over the world.

 

Kimono And More: Japanese Words Related to Kimono

Now that you have had a taste of the incredible beauty of kimono, you may want to know more about kimono and Japanese culture. Learn more about kimono and some of the words used to describe them below.

• kimono (きもの/着物): kimono is written as “着物” in Japanese, which literally means “things to wear”. Kimono are traditionally flat, T-shaped garments with square sleeves and a rectangular body. It is famous as Japan’s national costume.

• kiru (着る): kiru is a verb meaning “to wear” in Japanese.

• mono (もの/物): mono means “things” in Japanese.

• Yukata (浴衣): Yukata are casual cotton summer kimono. Check out our favorite kimono expert Sheila’s Yukata below:

See more

• Furisode (振袖): Furisode literally means “swinging sleeve” in Japanese. Furisode are the most formal kimono for young, and often unmarried women.

• Shiromuku (白無垢): Shiromuku literally means “white pure” or innocence. They are the pure-white wedding kimono worn by brides for a traditional Japanese Shinto wedding ceremony.

Japanese astronaut Koichi Wakata once said:

There are no borders between countries when you see Earth from space…”

The Imagine One World Kimono Project delivers the same message via breathtakingly beautiful kimonos. 

Learn a new language with LingoDeer and connect with Japanese culture!

 

More information: The Official Site of The Kimono Project