Chuo University’s International Center organized an event at C Square of the Tama Campus on Nov. 20 to give exchange students an opportunity to experience wearing furisode, Japan’s traditional long-sleeved kimono.

中央大学国際センター主催の交換留学生を対象とした振袖の着付け体験会が１１月２０日、多摩キャンパスＣスクエアで開かれた。

The event was planned by the “kimono squad” led by Mrs. Chikako Katsura, the vice chair of Chuo’s Parents Liaison Association. She was assisted by 20 members of the squad’s “dressing team”. The venue brimmed with splendor as 15 girl students from nine countries lined up, clad in colorful furisode.

父母連絡会副会長の桂千佳子さんが主宰する着物隊によりこの計画が立案され、桂さんとアシスタントである着付け隊のご協力により、今回のイベントが実現した。会場には９か国１５人の女子留学生が集い、会場は華やかな雰囲気に包まれた。

The students looked quite nervous at first but soon began enjoying talking with Mrs. Katsura and her assistants who helped them choose their hair style and accessories fit for their furisode. They looked nice in furisode in part because Mrs. Katsura had chosen the wear for each of them after having a close look at their portraits beforehand.

桂さん始め着付け隊の面々は、振袖に合う髪型や髪飾りを本人と相談するなどして、初めての体験に緊張する留学生との会話を楽しみながら、次々と参加者を振袖姿に変身させていった。桂さんが事前に留学生の写真を見て振袖を選んでいたためか、参加者それぞれに振袖がよく似合っていた。

The girls, fully dressed up, looked harder to walk around but were all smiles, taking pictures of each other, looking themselves in a mirror and enjoying their first experience of wearing the traditional Japanese attire. After a group photo session, they all looked sad and were reluctant to change their clothes.

　着付けを終えた留学生からは自然と笑みがこぼれ、どことなく歩きづらそうにしながらも、写真を撮り合ったり自分の姿を鏡で眺めたりして、初めて体験する日本の伝統衣装を楽しんでいる様子がうかがえた。集合写真を撮影した後、参加者みな悲しそうな顔で渋々振袖を着替えていた表情が印象的だった。

Toward the end of the event, one of the students said excitedly, “Next time, I want to have a geisha experience.” Many others said they now have a deeper interest in Japanese culture. The International Center hosted this kind of event for the first time. It found it successful in that it made the exchange students’ dream come true and helped them deepen their interested in Japanese culture. Let us hope that they will have more chances to learn about Japan.

　着替えを終えた留学生たちの中には、「次は芸者の体験をしてみたい」と興奮を隠さない者も。日本文化に対する興味をさらに深めている学生もいた。国際センターにとっても、振袖体験イベントは初めての試みだったが、日本の伝統衣装を着てみたいという留学生の願いに応え、日本文化へのさらなる興味を沸かせた点で成功だった。今後も留学生たちに日本を学ぶ機会が増えることが望まれる。

 (Written by: Natsumi Nakano)