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Kimono/Dance of the Crane/Headbands

Japanese beauty can be viewed in many different ways. One example is the kimono. The Kimono is a beautiful silk robe worn usually only on very big occassions, which has no buttons or zippers and are about floor length. Most woman usually own only one Kimono. A furoside Kimono is usually the kind that is worn on a women's 19th birthday for her coming of age ceromony. Now, Kimonos are very rarely worn as everyday clothing for Japanese women. Along with kimonos, in the Japanese culture, there are many ways to celebrate different things. This is a very old dance that dates all the way back to the 800's! This dance celebrates long life in Japan. It is called the Dance of the Crane. Originally it was to honor a shinto god of good health. Dancers dress up as cranes and have a lot of fun. Everyone prepares for challenges differently, also in Japanese culture, Japanese have a very unique way to prepare. They wear headbands. These headbands are also called hachimaki. When someone in Japan is wearing a headband it means they are going to face a big challenge. The challange can be a mental, physical or even spiritual event. Japanese also wear them for special occasions or preparing for an exam. Hachimaki symbolizes great endurance. Beauty in Japan can come from places such as the country's culture.