Another busy day. A student told me to go to a fabric store hidden in a small lane and dutifully I obliged. Well, I left a lot of money there. Found a lot of interesting tools which will aid my spring collection. Also stuff I might not use but it's beautiful.
Looking for hats
Kyoto workshop
Do be in Jori Johnsons workroom is a great honor and a great joy. She is a true master of her skill with felt and design.
Do be surrounded by fabrics and yarns and felt makes my heart skip a beat.
In Japan felt is of very very high qaulity and it gets worked and rolled and stretched and rolled and worked some ore . One sleeve is a day's work .
Japan is well know for its masters and skills and I must say this is not true for all I see as I search . one thing is for sure , Kyoto needs some milliners . Australia you can stand PROUD for what you do . Your design might not be Japanese but your skills of exicution are very high .
Stretching of felt
Checking for thin spots
turning of sleeve
wool and silks
The search for hats
Everywhere I go I try to find hats, learn about hats and wonder about hats. I must say I am disappointed what I see in the greets of Kyoto . Very little hats are worn and the once there are seam quit simple do I dare to say conservative?Young people wearing again more kimonos I was told cause it's cool and they like doing their hair and put flowers and things into it . The dressing up by foreigners in kimonos brought out something in the locals and they wear them more now again also and off course do it " proberly ".
There is some groovy fashion but not much .( I guess groovy means different things to us all) The Exhibitions I went too taught me about layering of silk kimono colours , horsehair hats, how to make and drink tea and the weaving of kimonos after dying them with Natrual dyes .
Thank you Kyoto for another day
Worn for Emperors ceremonies made from horsehair
Layering of kimono colours
Worn at emperors ceremonies hat stitched with silk embroidery
The iPhone matches the kimono
Poor joy to see colour in a se of black and grey
Emperors hat lackerd . Who ever thought this up ? And why?
Display
A side Street near Sanjio
Beautiful flowers in hair which often include some material of kimonos
One way to wear and obi
Old hand done Shibori work
Tea ceremony
A loved way of transport
Handbags a very very important and loved accessory
And this is NOT made in Japan it's a Habig hat Made in Vienna ......
Little Prince Museum
Who would have thought I go and see the little prince museum and there you go I did.
You pay your money, walk through the gate and voila you are in France. Chalet, music, surrounds and all. And many giggling girls jumping of joy in groups with selfie sticks.
I learned for the first time about the man behind the book who wrote many books and did not live to see the sucess of the last book 'The little prince'
This book seams was his personal story of growing up privileged , a thinker and philosopher and always trying to find a meaningful place in the world for himself. He dreamed and searched till to the end it seamed .
It felt to me before he crashed with his plane he had come to the understanding that you can not see the truth nor hear it . Freedom and truth of living is felt in the heart.
Happy for him that writing the book (the child within him) helped him see. He was born 1day before my bday. Also a sensitive, thoughtful and inquiring cancerian by the looks of it.
The little princes surrounded by women as he was as a grown up
Can't live without selfie sticks
French French French
The Rose which seamed to symbolise his love for France
His childhood home
The chalet he grew up in
Sometimes a split happens , find where it happened and repair it
Leaving the Libary of information
Hakone open air sculpture museum
This place blew my mind . I would like to come back here every season to see the art in different light in between the leaves and trees of this beautiful place nestled in the mountains.
the one thing which was somewhat weird was to see the name of Picasso SUPER huge in the land scape .
One can wander for hours and not see it all if one takes its time .
A place of reflection, relaxation and not to be missed should you ever come here .
Children's playground
Don't look at me I am shy
Silver balls hanging in the air
Climbing playground
Food bath
Sometimes We all fall on our noses
People in a part of Kyoto
As I walk in the area where I am I feel like stepping back into the place I was brought up nearly 60 years ago. The speed is slow and quit and between houses there are small areas where people grow veggies in the bit of garden or boxes . Much is improvised and made from things one has lying around . There is a lot of moss on stones and the walls of houses which suggests to be a lack of sun light to dry it all up.
No one wears bike helmets and the kids ride the bike as I used to do and putting someone even on the back . The tiny super market has not much on the shelves but enough for what one needs . Many old people walk hunched over pointing to a physical long labouros life. No coffee shop and no meeting places . As I walk the streets I can hear the sound of looms in tin sheds just like we had in our village . My goodness how I have stepped back in time and I am only on the out skirt of Kyoto.
Anything can be bought from venting machines
Bike stands I am very used too from my school days
Things get grown wherever there is space
Easy ride on a bike
Growing things between houses
Kids playing in a small park
I still do not understand the toys in cars
Hatmobile driver in Japan
Japan is a fascinating place indeed . People are polite and helpful and there are no rubbish bins anywhere.
Yes there are many people and they all move fluidly in their goabouts .
Tokyo and Kyoto which I have so far visited remind me of Melbourne with their fashion . A sea of black and grey moves towards me and away from me daily . Quit a few hats are worn but I have not seen anything outrageous yet.
Craftman ship is amazing in all things they do . Art is breath taking .
These images are taken in Hakone open air sculpture park
Fantastic play ground for children under 12 years
The perfect Selfie. Find Wally
Tokyo Railway station
Audrey is waiting
Audrey the Hatmibile is ready to go on her next trip but has you wait as I her driver is going of on her own to Japan first .
I,Waltraud like writing and sharing about my travels and the things I see . My focus of course is on hats, fashion and art but all those things would not be without the people making them and wearing them. I also enjoy seeing the world and making sense of life through metaphors .
I invite you to travel with me. Sometimes as I drive Audrey the Hatmobile and sometimes without her.
The world is there to be seen, lived in and learned from .
Waiting waiting waiting