Selling the kimono : an ethnography of crisis, creativity and hope / Julie Valk.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Valk, Julie, 1987- author.

Series:

Routledge advances in ethnography

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Kimonos--Japan--History.

Kimonos.

Clothing and dress--Japan--History.

Clothing and dress.

History.

Japan.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xiii, 180 pages : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm.

Place of Publication:

Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, NY : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2021.

Summary:

"Based on twelve months of in-depth ethnographic research in Japan with retailers, customers, wholesalers, writers and craftspeople, Selling the Kimono is a journey behind the scenes of a struggle to adapt to difficult economic conditions and declining demand for the kimono. The kimono is an iconic piece of clothing, instantly recognised as a symbol of traditional Japanese culture. Yet, little is known about the industry that makes and sells the kimono, in particular the crisis this industry is currently facing. Since the 1970s, kimono sales have dropped dramatically, craftspeople are struggling to find apprentices, and retailers have closed up shop. Illuminating recent academic investigations into the lived experience of economic crisis, this volume presents a story of an industry in crisis, and the narratives of hope, creativity and resilience that emerge in response to situations of economic crisis. The ethnographic depth and theoretical contribution to understandings of the effects of economic crisis and the transformation of traditional culture will be of broad interest to students, academics and the general public"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Machine generated contents note: 1. Kimono in crisis? The paradox of contemporary kimono culture

2. The kimono and the kimono industry

3. The rise of the formal kimono in the post-war years: selling status and commercialising knowledge

4. The path of resilience: weathering the economic crisis and managing public perceptions

5. Azumaya: the `nail that stuck up so far that no one could hammer it down'

6. The kimono as fashion: lifestyle, taste and individuated consumption

7. New directions: second-hand retail and new business models

8. Crisis and hope interwoven: the future of the kimono industry.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version: Valk, Julie, Selling the kimono

ISBN:

9780367482138

0367482134

9780367494988

0367494981

OCLC:

1225976317

Publisher Number:

99988376462