by Rebecca Copeland | Jul 20, 2022 | Japanese Culture
“I have a kimono that my Uncle brought back from Japan at the end of World War II, as a gift to my mother. I’m wondering if you might be interested in it?” I received an email with this message shortly after my university’s online magazine ran an article on my kimono... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Jul 5, 2021 | Japanese Culture
Earlier this summer John Moore, a member of the Communications Office at Washington University, interviewed me about The Kimono Tattoo. The editor wanted a photograph of me with “my kimono collection.” I recognize that I have A LOT of kimonos, but I had never thought... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Dec 2, 2020 | Japanese Culture
Today’s post is provided by Dr. Jan Bardsley, Professor Emerita, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Jan is well known for her captivating studies of Japanese women, from beauty queens to housewives and now, most recently, to maiko. Her forthcoming monograph,... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Oct 21, 2020 | Japanese Culture
For part one of this story, see previous post, My first—and only—Omiai. And you thought omiai were just for fictional characters in Japanese novels! It was April 1977. I had a dance recital in the large auditorium of a fancy hotel across from Hakata Station. I had... 
by Rebecca Copeland | Oct 7, 2020 | Japanese Culture
In Tanizaki Jun’ichirō’s novel, Sasameyuki (serialized 1943-1948; translated The Makioka Sisters by Edward Seidensticker, 1957), the action centers around finding the third sister a suitable marriage partner. Matchmakers busily scour the field in search of...
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