I think all of us who love fabric are fascinated by the traditional Japanese kimono. The girls in the first photo were dressed up as performers at a fancy dinner at our hotel but the others were just walking around on the street in Kyoto, oblivious to the gawking and picture-taking tourists.
Considering the temperature was in the 90s and the humidity was almost off the scale, this was quite a feat! Lots of men, too, wore lightweight cotton kimono and wooden sandals on the street, but they seemed much cooler, with bare feet and legs.
We were told that the city, valuing its tourist trade, encourages people to wear traditional dress on the streets through surprise incentives. For instance, you might show up at the movies one night and discover that you get in free because you wore kimono.
