Antique obi

One thing that distinguishes Tokyo from US and even European cities is that centuries-old traditions co-exist with modern life. That was certainly true in the Ningyocho neighborhood near the Imperial Palace, where traditional shops are mixed in with office buildings -- and where these ladies-who-lunch (above) were walking around in kimono, geta sandals and white socks.

My first stop (on a tour arranged by the Tokyo American Club) was a corner workshop where an artisan made lacquered, woven boxes for kimono and obi storage. This is the entire operation; the artisan, who was painting the inside of a box-top, sat on the floor and hung boxes on ceiling hooks to dry.


Most boxes had a symbol (like the chrysanthemum) or some Japanese kanji characters on them; I didn't have a chance to ask what anything meant, but here's a close-up view.


Next I spotted a store selling individually forged scissors and other sharp items.



Then we walked to a nondescript office building with kimono and obi for sale on the 2nd and 3rd floor. The variety was overwhelming, but I was drawn to the antique obi, which were defined as "at least 50 years old." They're quite heavy and embroidered on both sides with silk thread. I bought the one on the left, with flowers (chrysanthemum, cherry, others) and fans; hopefully not a completely ridiculous purchase.


Close-up view, below center. The saleswoman said it was probably a wedding obi. It's about 15 feet long - seems impossible to wrap and tie around a tiny Japanese woman. People drape them on decorative hangers for display.


There were also some "story obi," helpfully labeled in English with prices...



... and thousands of cheaper polyester kimono with pastel flowers. I wasn't too keen on them.



Odd Egyptian pattern.


And a strange boar statue to finish the day.