This ukiyo-e by Kikuzawa Eizan 菊川 英山 (1787- 1867) shows a stylish Japanese girl in an orange-red kimono barefoot on wooden sandals. It is cold outside. The wind is blowing and she is holding her clothes with one hand, so you can see a little bit of her legs without stockings. She must freeze, her right hand is covered by her sleeve and with the other hand she is holding an umbrella. Unbelievable, but she shows no sign of discomfort.
Kikukawa Eizan 菊川 英山 (1787–1867) painted this picture around 1840. It shows two Japanese ladies and a girl playing Hanetsuki on the New Year’s day. It is a game like badminton often played by females around New Year. The women are wearing high fashionable kimonos in multiple layers, colors and patterns with contrasting obis.
I wish you a very Happy New Year and hope you have a great time ahead in 2016!
Many visitors come to Japan Kaleidoskop reading the book reviews. I am always excited about seeing my statistics, which show the book titles people choose the most. Above all the most read article in 2015 is A Short History of Japanese Literature Part 5. And these are the most read book reviews on Japan Kaleidoskop of the whole year.
Top Ten of Readings of 2015:
1. Men without Women by Murakami Haruki
2. Thousand Cranes by Kawabata Yasunari
3. The Makioka Sisters by Tanizaki Jun’ichirô
4. Seven Japanese Tales by Tanizaki Jun’ichirô
5. Naomi by Tanizaki Jun’ichirô
6. Snow Country by Kawabata Yasunari
8. The Nakano Thrift Store by Kawakami Hiromi
Japan Kaleidoskop 