Kyoto of the 1930s and the 1980s

 by Mary Harrsch © 2025

I happen to see this interesting video about the Japanese artist Toshi Yoshida entitled "Walking through Kyoto in the 1930s" showcasing his paintings:

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Kyoto in 1982. Even though western-style dress was widely accepted, I still saw older people wearing traditional clothing. At one temple I asked an elderly gentleman who was walking with his granddaughter If I could take his picture and he agreed. He was dressed in a dark navy blue (known as "kon-iro") montsuki kimono (formal winter kimono) with hakama (divided skirt-like pants) for formal occasions.) His granddaughter, though, was wearing western-style T-shirt and shorts.

Here is my picture of the Japanese grandfather and his granddaughter feeding the pigeons at a temple in Kyoto in October 1982. I was the only female member of the first alfalfa products trade team to Japan and Korea. We had a day off so I caught the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto and spent a wonderful day there. I took one of those tours that took me to a number of temples so I'm not sure which one this was although it could have been Kiyomizudera (Pure Water Temple) as I faintly remember a fountain with an ornate dragon.

Grandfather and granddaughter feeding pigeons at a temple in Kyota in October 1982. 

I uploaded my picture to ClaudeAI and it observed:

"Given the timing (October) and color (dark navy blue), this was most likely a montsuki kimono or a formal winter kimono. Since you mention it was an elderly gentleman, it makes even more sense as older Japanese men were more likely to wear traditional formal attire in the 1980s.

The dark navy color (known as "kon-iro" in Japanese) is a traditional, dignified choice that was and still is very common for men's formal kimonos. October in Japan is moving into cooler weather, so it would have been appropriate to wear a lined silk kimono rather than a lighter summer yukata.

What's particularly interesting about your timing - 1982 was a period when traditional kimono wearing was already becoming less common in everyday life in Japan, so capturing that image of an elderly gentleman in traditional dress would have documented an important cultural moment.

Men's traditional Japanese clothing can be called kimono, though there are some specific terms and distinctions worth noting:

The general term "kimono" (着物) applies to both men's and women's traditional garments. However, men's kimonos tend to be more subdued in color and pattern compared to women's, and they're typically worn with hakama (袴, divided skirt-like pants) for formal occasions.

Some specific types of men's kimono include:

Montsuki - A formal black kimono with family crests

Haori - A hip-length jacket worn over the kimono

Yukata - A casual, unlined summer kimono typically made of cotton

The way of wearing a kimono also differs between men and women. Men's kimonos have shorter sleeves, and the obi (belt) is tied differently and is much simpler than women's elaborate obi styles.