‘Secrets of the Kimono’ Showcased in Kyoto; Museum Exhibit Features Early Modern Pieces, Related Items

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:20 JST, July 28, 2025

KYOTO — An exhibition featuring about 260 kimono and related materials recently opened at the National Museum of Modern Art, Kyoto, in the city’s Sakyo Ward.

Titled “Secrets of the Kimono: The Advent of Yuzen Dyeing,” the exhibition focuses on the beauty of the traditional Japanese garb.

Kimono masterpieces from the early modern period onward will be showcased through Sept. 15, featuring pieces from the collection of Chiso Holdings Co., a renowned kimono firm known for its Kyo-yuzen, a Kyoto-style dyeing technique. Chiso is providing special support to the exhibition, which is organized in part by The Yomiuri Shimbun.

Visitors can observe masterpieces such as elegant kosode short-sleeved kimono with patterns all over the cloth and “Yuzen Kimono, ‘Glorious Blossoms’” (1985) by Kako Moriguchi, housed in the museum. Moriguchi is a Yuzen-dyeing artist designated as a living national treasure.

Also on display are kimono pattern books — believed to have set past kimono trends — dyeing and weaving designs and various scraps of Yuzen-dyed fabric, highlighting the creativity of the artisans.

The exhibited items are periodically replaced.

“I was amazed at how much time and energy went into making a single kimono. It truly is art,” said a 77-year-old woman from Kawasaki.

Admission is ¥2,000 for adults, ¥1,300 for university students and ¥600 for high school students.