Video of Japanese woman snowboarding in red kimono goes viral
By Iris Jung
A Twitter video of a Japanese woman snowboarding in a red kimono for Coming of Age Day has gone viral.
Uploaded on Jan. 9 by Sumire Morino (@Katorisenkou_ks), 20, the short clip shows Morino gliding through the snow on her board as her long-sleeved kimono flares and drapes about her.
“In Japan, there is a culture of women wearing a special long-sleeved kimono, furisode, for the coming-of-age ceremony,” Morino explained in an interview with Insider.
A furisode is a specific type of kimono known for its distinguishable “swinging sleeves.” The special kimono is typically worn by young unmarried women on formal occasions, especially Coming of Age Day.
Her specific red furisode kimono was purchased for 20,000 Japanese yen (approximately $154).
Coming of Age Day is an annual Japanese public holiday held on the second Monday of January.
The holiday celebrates young adults reaching the age of maturity, 20, and officially becoming adults in society. To signify the special occasion, women wear furisode kimonos and men wear montsuki haori hakama kimonos.
While the holiday is usually celebrated with fellow classmates, Morino decided to take a trip to Nagano’s Banshogahara Ski Resort to snowboard, a hobby she had taken up at 16.
Although Morino was initially worried the traditionally long sleeves would get caught while snowboarding, her ride down the slope appears effortless, garnering the attention of many.
“The kimono suits you and the slip is super cool!” one user commented, according to Google Translate. “I wanted to see it, congratulations on becoming an adult!”
“This is so cool! Red looks great on the snowy mountains,” wrote another.
In response to the overwhelming love online, Morino shared additional pictures and videos to her Twitter account.
“For me, Coming of Age Day was just an ordinary day,” Morino expressed. “But many people celebrated with me and it became a very memorable day.”
Today, Morino is a college student in Kyoto majoring in traditional Japanese crafts.
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