KiMoNo

Kimono (着物) is the national costume of Japan. Originally the word "kimono" referred to all types of clothing, but it has come to mean specifically the full-length traditional garment worn by women, men, and children. Kimonos are T-shaped, straight-lined robes that fall to the ankle, with collars and wide, full-length sleeves. Traditionally, unmarried women wore a style of kimono called furisode, which have floor-length sleeves, on special occasions.

Kimonos are wrapped around the body, always with the left side over the right (except when dressing the dead for burial) and secured by a wide belt called an obi, which is tied at the back. Kimonos are generally worn with traditional footwear (especially geta, thonged wood-platform footwear; and zori, a type of thong-like footwear) and split-toe socks (tabi).

Today, kimonos are most often worn by women, and on special occasions. A few older women and even fewer men still wear kimonos on a daily basis. Men wear kimonos most often at weddings, tea ceremonies, and other very special or very formal occasions. Kimonos are also worn by both men and women in certain sports, such as kendo. Professional sumo wrestlers are often seen in kimonos because they are required to wear traditional Japanese dress whenever appearing in public.