Shibamata in Tokyo's Katsushika Ward is well known as the setting for the long-running "Otoko wa Tsurai yo" (It's Tough Being a Man) movie series featuring the kindhearted vagabond Tora-san.
It is also where a young Frenchman has chosen to open a unique kimono shop, in which he displays, sells and rents antique kimono.
"From a foreigner's point of view, Japanese kimono are extremely beautiful," says Thomas Kohler, the 23-year-old proprietor of Konjaku Kimono Komichi. "I want people to have a more casual approach toward kimono and have fun wearing them," he said.
One afternoon in early December last year, a group of five men and women clad in kimono could be spotted walking down the main approach to the Shibamata Taishakuten temple. They were taking part in the "Shibamata kimono group stroll," an event organized by Kohler. Sojin Okada, a 17-year-old who participated with a friend, said, "Kimono always seemed beyond my reach. But after wearing one, I realized it doesn't feel awkward at all."
Kohler opened his shop in July last year in a residential area just a three-minute walk from Shibamata Station. "[The neighborhood] still provides a glimpse of beautiful Japan," he said, explaining why he chose the area.
A dyed-in-the-wool Frenchman, Kohler developed an interest in Japanese culture, such as flower arrangement and the tea ceremony, online and through reading books. Wanting to see it for himself, he came to Japan at age 18.
While attending a Japanese language school in Tokyo over a two-year period, he also worked part-time at a shop in Asakusa that sold and rented used kimono.
During lulls in business, he would look closely at each of the garments and gained a sense of their appeal, from the vibrantly colored fabrics of daily-use kimono to ones with mysterious patterns.
Kohler decided to open a shop in which to stock antique kimono that had been left untouched in people's drawers, giving them a new lease on life.
With the support of people he met through his part-time job, he opened the shop in Shibamata. He collected about 600 kimono from the Meiji (1868-1912), Taisho (1912-1926), Showa (1926-1989) and Heisei (1989-) eras. In addition to selling and renting the clothing, he converted part of the shop into a salon, where he has held kimono-wearing classes, shamisen recitals and other events.
Kohler also has the backing of the local community. He has been allowed to put up a signboard in front of Shibamata Station at no cost, and neighbors have helped with promotional activities.
One problem he encountered was that few of the tourists visiting Shibamata were trying on his kimono so he came up with the idea for the kimono stroll as a way to promote the shop.
In April, Kohler plans to hold an event called "Coming-of-Age Day once more," in which the female participants, regardless of age, will stroll through town wearing long-sleeved kimono called furisode -- which are traditionally reserved for unmarried women.
"I'm looking forward to the day when the approach at Shibamata Taishakuten is filled with people wearing kimono," Kohler said.
As he waits for business to take off at his humble shop, Kohler said he hopes more people will come to appreciate kimono by visiting Shibamata.
Promoting history, culture
On Feb. 13, the neighborhood around Shibamata Taishakuten temple marked the one-year anniversary of being selected as an Important Cultural Landscape -- the first area in central Tokyo to receive the accolade. The release of a commemorative stamp set, among other things, on the day helped to boost promotion of the area's history and culture.
The stamps include photos of such scenes as the inner grounds of the temple, as well as the "yagiri no watashi" river ferry that connects Shibamata with Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture.
The set is priced at 1,500 yen (tax included) with a limited production of 2,000. It is on sale at the Shibamata tourist information center and other locations.
Also available at the tourist information center is the free booklet "Katsushika Shibamata -- Miryoku Saihakken" (Rediscovering the charm), which was produced by Katsushika Ward in September.
In addition to pointing out tourist spots, the 64-page booklet provides information on old-fashioned houses and river fish restau
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