Long-sleeved kimono - Furisode

A long-sleeved kimono. Or it refers to a kimono with such sleeves, used as formal attire for unmarried women. The sleeves are short and the bottom part is open. The name was given to this part because it moves. In the Edo period, it was also called wakiake.

The wearing of furisode can be seen as early as the Kamakura period picture scroll "Kasuga Gongen Reigenki," but the name became common during the Edo period. It was worn by boys, girls, and young women, and children in particular left the furi open to dissipate body heat. When women turned 18, they would sew the furi closed and turn it into a tomesode. However, during the Bunka era (1804-1818), the width of the obi widened to 1 shaku 5 bu (about 40 centimeters, or the width of a whale's foot), and because closing the furi made it difficult to tie the obi, sleeves with furi came to be worn even after the age of 18. As a result, the original meanings of "furisode with open sleeves" and "tomesode with closed sleeves" were lost, and long-sleeved ones came to be called furisode and short-sleeved ones came to be called tomesode, and tomesode further came to refer to the formal attire of married people.

In the early modern period, the sleeve width was narrow, about 20 centimeters, and the length was 1 shaku 5 sun (about 45 centimeters) in the Kanejaku (curved ruler), 6 shaku for both sleeves, so it was called Rokushaku sleeves, and was also called O-furisode (large long sleeves). The sleeves were rounded to about 20 centimeters, so they were called 'sagisode' sleeves, and because of their similar shape, they were also given names such as naginata sleeves and uguisu sleeves. The sleeve length gradually became longer, and in sewing books from the Genroku period (1688-1704), the sleeve length was about 73 centimeters, in the Kyowa period (1801-04), it was 95-102 centimeters, and in the Kaei period (1848-54), it was 106 centimeters. This measurement became more or less fixed and continued through the Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods. Currently, a furisode with a sleeve length of 105 centimeters is called an o-furisode, a 95 centimeter one is called a chu-furisode, and one with a sleeve length of around 85 centimeters is called a ko-furisode.

Black furisode with five crests are used as bridal attire, while colored or white furisode are used as a change of color for weddings or as formal attire for unmarried women. In addition to five crests, they may have three crests, one crest, or no crest at all. The fabric is crepe or monrinzu, and many are gorgeous, with dyed eba patterns and embroidery, surihaku (gold leaf printing), and tie-dyeing. Yuzen patterns are also used for girls.

[Kazuko Okano]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長着の袖で丈の長いもの。または、その袖のついた長着のことをいい、未婚女性の盛装として用いられる。袖付けを短くして、その下の振り八つ口をあける。その部分が振れ動くのでつけられた名称である。江戸時代には脇(わき)あけともいった。

　振袖着用は、古くは鎌倉時代の絵巻物『春日権現霊験記(かすがごんげんれいげんき)』にみられるが、江戸時代になってその名が一般化した。男女児と若い女性が着たもので、とくに子供は体熱を発散させるために振りをあけた。女性は18歳になると、振りを縫いふさいで留袖にしていた。しかし文化年間（1804～18）になると、帯幅が1尺5分（鯨尺なので約40センチメートル）と広くなり、ふさいでいると帯を締めるのに差し支えるので、18歳を過ぎても振りのある袖が用いられるようになった。そのため、脇あけの振袖、脇ふさぎの留袖という本来の意味を失って、袖丈の長いものを振袖、短いものを留袖というようになり、さらに留袖は既婚者の礼装をさしていうようになった。

　近世初期の袖幅は20センチメートル内外と狭く、丈は曲尺(かねじゃく)の1尺5寸（約45センチメートル）、両袖用尺は6尺となり六尺袖ともよばれ、これを大振袖ともいった。袂(たもと)の丸みは20センチメートルぐらいに大きくそいだので、そぎ袖といわれ、形が似ているところから、長刀(なぎなた)袖、鶯(うぐいす)袖などの名もつけられた。袖丈はしだいに長くなり、元禄(げんろく)年間（1688～1704）の裁縫書では、袖丈73センチメートル内外、享和(きょうわ)年間（1801～04）には95～102センチメートル、嘉永(かえい)年間（1848～54）には106センチメートルが一般の袖丈となった。この寸法がほぼ定着して、明治・大正・昭和に至った。現在は袖丈105センチメートルを大振袖、95センチメートルを中振袖、85センチメートルぐらいのものを小振袖という。

　黒振袖は五つ紋をつけて花嫁衣装に用い、色物または白地の振袖は婚礼のお色直しや、未婚女性の盛装として用いる。これには五つ紋のほか、三つ紋、一つ紋をつけることも、紋を略すこともある。生地(きじ)は縮緬(ちりめん)や紋綸子(もんりんず)で、絵羽模様を染め、刺しゅう、摺箔(すりはく)、絞りなどを施した華麗なものが多い。少女用には友禅模様も用いる。

［岡野和子］

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