Would wearing a Kimono be considered cultural appropriation?

According to Japanese people in Japan, not only is it not appropriation, it's generally encouraged. read more

Our general understanding of cultural appropriation is when people take a specific aspect of a culture and make use of it without fully understanding the traditional and symbolic meanings of it. Considering the cultural and social significance of the wearing of the Japanese kimono, it seems there’s good reason to complain. read more

I decided to write about kimono and cultural appropriation pretty soon after starting this blog. For some of you, this is a well-worn issue, that you have considered and reflected on already. For others, especially newbies, it may be either a lingering fear in your mind, or something you have not yet considered about wearing a cultural garment with such heavy implications as the kimono. read more

Jargonistic polemics against cultural appropriation and self-appointed experts on sartorial “cultural respect” may also sow confusion about when, or how, it is culturally respectful for non-Japanese consumers to wear kimonos. read more