Hello! My name is Ranno Hana. The other day I went to Paris, France for the first time. Please enjoy my kimono trip to Paris following Munich, Germany!
Click here for the Munich edition
football games and Oktoberfest! Kimono trip by Ranno Hana【Munich, ed.】
Stroll the streets of Paris in a chic kimono
This was my first trip to France. In addition to the standard tourist attractions such as the triangular structure in front of the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower, I also enjoyed ‘visiting my favorite movie spots’ in Paris!
The photo shows the Pont Neuf Bridge, the location of ‘Les Amants du Pont-Neuf’. I was so excited to see the arches of the Paris subway passageway that appear in the movie, and I also went to the bookstore [SHAKESPEARE AND COMPANY] that appears in ‘Before Sunset’ and bought some books as souvenirs! I had sooooo much fun!
In the movie ‘TOKYO RED ~Entan (鉛丹)’ in which I play the lead role, which will be released in January, I play a woman wearing a Entan dress walking the streets of Tokyo, so as an homage to that, I decided to walk the streets of Paris wearing a kimono that resembles a Entan color. So I’m calling the theme of this outfit ‘PARIS RED – WARAKU’!
After a lot of walking, I went to the terrace of a café and drank a big glass of café au lait! It was delicious! My heart fluttered everytime we drank or ate on the cobblestone terrace. We were also really that the weather was really good!
The kimono of the day was a katazome komon (型染め小紋) that my mother had made for me about 40 years ago. When I first saw it, I was quite reluctant to where something so classic, but when I tried it on, it gave me a totally different impression, with a cute yet chicness to it that made it an instant favorite!
On days when you do a lot of walking, you can wear cafe zori (sandals 草履). The low rebounding material of the base is gentle on the feet, so you won’t get tired. The obi (belt 帯) was given to me by an acquaintance. I wear it often because it is easy to match, but I have to take good care of it because it is made of tsuzure ori (tapestry 綴織)…..! The picture of a child (Karako 唐子 [child dressed in ancient chinese clothes]) is cute, isn’t it? Recently, I’ve been into a kimono manga called ‘Gintaro-san Otanomi mosu (銀太郎さんお頼み申す)’, in which the characters are asked, “This is a picture of a child!” “No, it’s a Karako!” In the manga, the professionals are arguing about the kimono pictures. It is a favorite scene that conveys the love of kimono and reassures me that the interpretation of kimono can be left to the individual.
Classic outfit brimming with Japanese tradition
This is a visiting gown and obi that my mother had made for her engagement. I love this gorgeous combination and have worn it many times for celebrations such as friends’ weddings and New Year’s parties of my clan.
On this day, we dined at the Michelin starred restaurant ‘Taillevent Paris’ in Paris. I was dressed glamorously, respecting the tradition and prestige of the restaurant. To be honest, I was actually quite nervous about ‘a Michelin starred restaurant in Paris’, so I went there in a visiting gown (lol).
We were treated wonderfully at the restaurant and enjoyed the food! If I close my eyes, I can remember all the dishes. It was that good!
Since we came all this way, we thought, let’s go to the Eiffel Tower in these kimonos! So, after dinner, we went to the foot of the Eiffel Tower. The park had well-maintained lawns, flowerbeds, and benches where we could sit and enjoy the view, and just strolling in the breeze made my heart feel excited. The candies were so cute that I wondered if I should buy one, but I was too full and decided against it (lol).
Parisians are free, natural, and don’t care what other people think, so I felt very comfortable there. It was also nice to see that each region has a slightly different charm, and I am convinced that many people love Paris! I fell in love with Paris after this stay and will definitely visit again.
Cherish Japanese culture, which is also loved by people from other countries
In Munich, I wore an old kimono, and in Paris, I wore a kimono given to me by my mother, in ‘Kimono trip by Ranno Hana’. The underlying theme of both outfits is SDGs! One of the charms of kimonos is that they can be worn with care for a long time, and I am happy that the original owner is pleased that I am wearing a kimono that was sleeping in a chest of drawers.
On the other hand, I would like to order new kimonos as much as I can, in order to protect artisans throughout Japan, and I would like to continue to spread the word so that kimonos can become a familiar fashionable item for more and more people.
And in both Paris and Munich, I was asked by locals and tourists to “take a picture with me!” I felt that I was getting a lot of attention from the locals and tourists who came to visit. I was kindly complimented by some madames ” Your face and aura are lovely!” whilst others told us that they had studied abroad in Japan or had studied Japanese culture. It was a trip to Paris that made me, as a Japanese person, determined to cherish and love Japanese culture even more.
This article is translated from https://intojapanwaraku.com/fashion-kimono/231482/
Profile
Ranno Hana
Actor and former leading female role, in the Hanagumi group, for the Takarazuka theatre group. She has played many heroines since her Takarazuka days, and after leaving Takarazuka, she starred in the musical ‘Elisabeth’ and began her career in the entertainment industry. In 2019, she passed the exam for the Ordinary Division (Natori (名取)) of the Hanayagi (花柳) school of Japanese dance, and performed the nagauta (長唄) ‘Sagimusume (鷺娘)’ at the National Theatre of Japan’s famous unveiling. In recent years, she has appeared in a variety of films and advertisements, and is scheduled to star in the film “TOKYO Entan” in 2024.
