Ryusou and Chimip

Nakoruru and Mina Majikina in costumes of japanese minor nations.
My work on 2006.

What they wear looks like kimono but these are national costumes of Japanese minor nation; 琉球人(Ryukyuan people) [link] and アイヌ(Ainu people) [link] .

Nakoruru(left side) is dressed in 琉装(Ryusou); the native dress to traditional Okinawa people.
Its ｄｅｃｏｒａｔｅｄ with patterns of colorful tropical plants.
Differ from kimono, people puts on Ryusou without obi(=kind of belt) so that they can live in comfort on tropical hot environment.

Mina(right side) is dressed in Chimip(チミプ) ;the native dress to traditional Ainu people.
Ainu is the indigenous people lived in Japanese northern end Ezo(currently called as Hokkaido)　and developped unique culture.
"Chimip" means "the thing we wear" in their language. ("Kimono" also means same)
Its decorated with unique angulaly patterns. These patterns stands for spikes of plant; people believed it repulses evil　gods such as diseases. Stitches on headband(called matanpushi) and gloves(called tekunp)has same　meaning.


I think these national costume makes people fascinating!
I hope more people to know attraction of minor tribal dressings.