Hakama

alternative words: Kimono trousers, Japanese trousers keywords: craft related topics: Kimono , Kofun period , Haniwa , Heian period , Meiji period , Samurai related web sites: http://azusa.miko.org/~tatyana/event/hakama/hakama.html , http://www.javenue.com/sukeroku/hakama.htm explanation: As attested by Haniwa doll of Kofun period, origin of hakama (Japanese trousers) was very old. Under an influence of the Chinese civilization, the usage of hakama had declined during Heian period and replaced by kimono with a long skirt, especially among women. When samurai clans took the power in the middle ages, the usage of hakama became again popular among men. Hakama for women resurfaced during Meiji period as a girl's school uniform. (http://www.docoja.com:8080/jisho/mainword?dbname=histg&mainword=Hakama)

Hakama: This type of Japanese traditional clothing consists of a wide pleated skirt. Today, men as well as women wear the hakama but in the earlier days, the hakama was worn only by men. In the ancient times, the hakama was worn by the samurai so that the opponent would not be able to see the footwork. A hakama has around 7 pleats, which are a representation of certain virtues. These are known to hold a lot of importance for the samurai. The men and womens hakama are also found in many varieties today.

Hakama are a form of traditional Japanese clothing that can be worn by either men or women over kimono. They look like a skirt at first glance, but they may be either divided or undivided. They are most easily recognizable by the ties (himo) that secure them, as well as the seven deep pleats: five in front, two in back. Historically, they were usually meant for samurai or shinto priests and priestesses, but now, they are reserved for martial arts, tea ceremonies, and extremely formal occasions.

The hakama has an intensely formal connotation within Japan: they are still worn by maintainers of shrines; women and men must tie hakama differently (varying from the specific tie to even where the knot itself is located), as well as wearing them differently (women tie them just under the bust, while men wear them around the waist); some martial arts practitioners have their own particular way of folding hakama.

The history of the design of the hakama is varied and spotted with legend, but a few interesting points that may or may not actually be true:

In the Heian period, cords usually ran through the ankle-area of the hakama to make the fabric bloom out. This was called sashinuki hakama, and it was worn by court nobles. During the Sengoku period, hakama were fashioned to fit more narrowly at the ankle to create a ballooning effect - all to imitate the trouser-style of the Portuguese. This style carried into the Edo period and was called karusan-bakama. When a samurai visited a daimyo or the shogun, he was required to wear hakama with a train of two or three feet (naga-bakama), which seriously hindered walking. This was supposedly to stall an assassination attempt. The hakama are a part of the uniform for many martial arts because of the fact that they generall cover the feet; this hides your footwork and makes it easier to surprise your opponent.

(http://outsiderjapan.pbworks.com/w/page/9758380/Hakama)