Japanese Girlfriends

The kimono (きもの/着物) (lit., "thing to wear" – from the verb ki (着), "to wear (on the shoulders)" and the noun mono (物), "thing")[1] is a traditional Japanese garment and the national dress of Japan. The kimono is a T-shaped, wrapped-front garment with square sleeves and a rectangular body, and is worn with the left side wrapped over the right side, unless the wearer is deceased.[2] The kimono is traditionally worn with an obi, and is commonly worn with accessories such as zōri sandals and tabi socks.

Kimono have a set method of construction and are typically made from a long, narrow bolt of cloth known as a tanmono, though Western-style fabric bolts are also sometimes used.[3] There are different types of kimono for men, women and children, varying based on the occasion, the season, the wearer's age, and - less commonly in the modern day - the wearer's marital status. Despite perception as being a stiff and formal garment, there are types of kimono suitable for every formality, including informal occasions. The way a person wears their kimono is known as kitsuke (着付け) (lit., "dressing").

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Masami Iida is an award-winning painter/photographer with a variety of interests that capture the beauty in our world. Masami Iida's artwork can be found throughout North America, Europe, Russia, Japan, China and Australia.

He was born just outside of Tokyo, Japan where he lived until he ventured to America to study. He attended universities in Iowa, Seattle, and New Jersey from 1982 to 1986. He received a Bachelor's degree from the Montclair State University with a major in linguistics and a minor in art. After a short return to Japan, Masami moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1987 and dedicated himself to painting. Masami has over 30 years of painting experience and has captured the beauty of the human body, nature, landscapes and wildlife on his canvas. Ten years and hundreds of painting later, in 1997 Masami took up photography and found it to be a natural extension of his artwork. Masami enjoys capturing the essence of his subject through his lens and/or on canvas. He sees beauty everywhere, even in the simplest things.

Please take some time to view Masami's intimate photographs and paintings and see for yourself the beauty he has captured.