Besides the commercial push for chocolate and flowers, Valentine’s Day is for lovers to celebrate love. The Japanese have a poetic metaphor for love as close to you as your clothing: 恋衣 (こいごろも, koigoromo). The word combines the kanji for love and garments, so it could also mean “love garb.” But Koigoromo is also the title of the newest artbook [product link] from Kantoku in the J-List store. His art captures the clothing he loves the best: kimonos.
And what better way to appreciate them than to dress cute girls with moe expressions in traditional Japanese costumes? Let’s preview some of Koigoromo’s delightful illustrations in this blog post!
How Does Kantoku Capture the Soul of Japanese Fashion in Koigoromo?
Kimonos came to Japan from China as undergarments usually worn under outer layers of other robes and clothing. Six hundred years ago, the Japanese dropped the hakama (traditional pants) and wore the kimono with an obi (traditional belt). This long history explains why deities and shrine maidens wear kimonos and miko still wear the hakama.
Each illustration includes a short note from Kantoku on his artistic process and thoughts about how it turned out. For the girl dancing the yosakoi (a traditional dance from the Kochi Prefecture) in front of Katsushika Hokusai’s Great Wave, Kantoku had these words:
Yosakoi with a great wave in the style of Katsushika Hokusai. I would like to see the yosakoi someday, as there are only a few events where people perform acrobatic dances in a kimono.
Kimonos only recently became a feminine fashion choice, with men wearing kimonos for formal events like wedding ceremonies or funerals. But pop culture (anime) has influenced youth into wearing traditional clothing again, like encouraging both genders to wear the yukata-style kimono to summer festivals. Will that trend continue with the crazy lingerie the girls wear these days? Peeling the layers of the kimono has just gotten more enticing!
Love Garb Closer to You than Kimonos? Cute Girls’ Underwear!
Look. J-List wouldn’t recommend an artbook from Kantoku unless it brought the ecchi. So, how could a book of illustrations about traditional garments made of many layers have anything lewd inside? Don’t underestimate the power of moe and sukebe!
Koigoromo shows you how close love should be by showing you the last layer between a kimono’s layers and a maiden’s soft skin. The pure-hearted undergarments of shrine maidens are the close intimacy you hope a Valentine’s Day love can provide. Kantoku’s art hints at that next level beneath thin layers of form-fitting lingerie.
Buy Koigoromo During the J-List Valentine’s Day Sale!
Opportunities to experience intimate love as close as a moe girl’s white panties only come a few times a year. How about making this Valentine’s Day the time to wear love garments with the Koigoromo artbook from Kantoku? No need for cheesy karaoke songs. Buy a copy of one of Kantoku’s most recent artbooks during our Valentine’s Day Sale. You can appreciate the soul of Japan in your hands: moe girls wearing cute underwear under their kimonos.
Thank you for reading this blog post about love as close as a girl’s underwear to her skin. The artbook Koigoromo from Kantoku ships from Japan here, so take advantage of the J-List Valentine Sale. And browse more of Kantoku’s work on the blog and his products here in the J-List store!
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Great news! J-List is having a $40-off-$200-or-more holiday coupon you can use for all in-stock items shipping from Japan! (Except calendars and Lucky Boxes.) This means you can make a big order of ecchi products for men, manga and doujinshi, JAV DVDs and Blu-rays, or hentai products and save big. Start browsing here!
