旦暮庁 TANBO-CHŌ

Introduction

Welcome to the reenactment community and welcome to the historical Japanese community! We are so happy that you are interested in this little slice of history. We know that starting out in a hobby like this can be daunting so we are here to help you figure out some starting steps on your journey of exploration and fun. Our hope is that we can provide you with resources and directions that will allow you to gain some momentum in putting together your own historical kit and let you make decisions as to where you want to go next.

What is a Kit?

In reenactment type circles, your “kit” refers to your assembled gear used in your historical adventures. It can include your clothing (often called garb) as well as other pieces of equipment that you would use at a historical event. Eating gear, chairs, mock weaponry, and armor are all also part of your kit. In this article, we are going to focus on the starting things you will need in your kit, some ways to expand on that, and list some other accessories that might be useful.

Let’s start with your garb.

Sidebar: 800 Years of History

The time period from the beginning of the Heian period to the end of the Sengoku is a little over 800 years long and a lot happens in that time. There are many variations in styles of clothing and culture during that time. In this guide we are going to give some general guidance and discuss broad strokes. We highly recommend that you look into the specific time period in which you are interested and find those little things that elevate your kit from a nondescript portrayal of any Japanese person into something unique and amazing.

Kosode

Clothing is an essential part of interacting with other people. Along with all the usual social reasons, historically appropriate clothing shows what kind of “persona” you are trying to portray and helps you feel more part of the group in historical recreation settings. The beginning outfit for a Japanese persona is the kosode, or more accurately, two kosode.

A kosode is kind of like a modern kimono. It is actually the direct ancestor of the moden kimono. It is a robe with an open front which you then close with some kind of tied sash or strap (usually an “obi,” or the more simple “himo.”) The front part of a kosode overlaps in front when it is closed so that when you wear one, you still have full range of movement without needing to worry about any modesty concerns. Kodose usually have sleeves long enough to come about to your wrist and the bottom edge of the robe falls somewhere between ¾ of the way down your calf and at the ankle. Some kosode are even floor length or pool down on the ground.

There are many different kinds of robes in Japanese clothing, but most of them can be best understood by first understanding kosode. For example, several kinds of robes (dobuku jackets, jinbaori, hitoe, etc.) are made very similarly to kosode. Therefore, a kosode is a good place to start when starting a Japanese persona. Many people make their own clothing in historical reenactment groups, but it is possible to buy kosode or modern kimonos which have a similar look. You can even buy some second hand kimono and convert them to look more like historical kosode. When you are deciding what you want to do you will want to weigh your options against how much money you want to spend, how much personal work you want to put in, and how much time you want to take. On this site we have some great resources on making kosode for yourself.

Your First Kosode (Plural!)

For your first outfit, you will likely want two kosode. The first will be a plain colored or white under-kosode (also called a juban in later time periods.) We advise that this layer should be made from a natural fiber such as linen or cotton. Natural fiber clothing is always great for historical reenactment because it allows for good airflow between the layers and yourself, so you don’t sweat too much or overheat. Linen is especially good as a layer that sits against your skin because it is very good at pulling sweat away from your skin. Silk is a great material for almost everything, except for a skin layer like this because human sweat will degrade the fabric pretty quickly. Whatever kind of fabric you do use, you can close this robe with a simple tie called a himo. This is a not very wide strip of cloth, braid, or the like, which goes around your waist once and then ties off in a simple knot.

Your second kosode is very similar to your first. This over-kosode can be fancier and more festive than the juban. It can be one solid color, many colors, and have whatever decoration you like. It can be brightly colored or more subdued. This is where a lot of your personal choice about what you like comes in. Again, this layer can be linen, cotton, or even silk. This layer will be tied with an obi sash. Pre-17th century obi are much thinner than modern obi on both men and women. For everyone during this time period, obi were likely only about 2 ½ to 3 inches wide. Obi were long enough that they could go around the waist 2 or more times and make long bows beyond that. 

Putting on a kosode is very simple. If you’ve every worn a bathrobe you’ve already got most of it down. Put on the plain layer first, letting it sit on your shoulders with the back of the collar right at the base of your neck. Pre-17th century kosode don’t need to sit away from the neck. Take one side of the front in each hand. Right side to the right hand and left to left. Your right hand folds in first so that the collar goes over your chest. Then the left side does the same. Tie the kosode closed with a himo. Do the same thing with the top layer kosode. Shoulders and neck, take each side in hand. Right first, then left. Tie it off with an obi. Evidence suggests that pre-17th century obi were tied at the hips, rather than at the natural waist. (If that sentence doesn’t make sense to you, you can ignore it.) There are lots of variations how sashes are tied, so do what seems comfortable to you. We also see that obi could be ties in the front, the back, or to either side when worn by anybody. The placement and style of knots were much less formalized than modern kimono culture.

Once you’ve gotten dressed, you are almost ready to go.

Sidebar: White Belts

The historical recreation group called the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) recognizes many of its members with wonderful achievements. These achievements are often representative of a lot of time and effort put into the development of skills and the service that comes with it. These people are given items of regalia to signify their awards to the larger group. In particular, the SCA has an internal rule that reserves the use of white belts to those who have been awarded the title of Knight. It is considered insensitive for those who have not achieved this rank to wear belts or sashes which are fully plain white. We know, of course, that if you attended your first SCA event wearing a white obi, that you are not purposefully trying to insult anyone. It is likely, though, that there may be people who are not as understanding. We are very sorry for any one who is rude to you because of an inadvertent slip up, like that.

Being polite is a cornerstone of the Japanese spirit, and we know that such politeness goes both directions. We hope that everyone is welcoming when you come to any historical recreation event, and we hope that you are polite in coming into a new group of friends. We recommend that there are a great many colors of obi which you can use in your kit and that decorating an obi means that it no longer falls into the protected realm of a white belt. Above all, however, if you have no other recourse, we much prefer to see you in your best effort than to not see you at all.

Necessary Additions

Now that you have the absolute minimum needed to walk into a historical recreation, there are a couple of extras to be aware of. These are things you will probably very much want to have. After that is a list of things that might be nice to have but are not strictly necessary when beginning. If you think they would be good to have, you can acquire them at any point in your historical adventures.

Footwear

Shoes, as we understand them, were not commonly worn by many Japanese people before the 17th century. Instead, sandals are much more commonplace. You may be familiar with the tall wooden clogs called geta, or perhaps the rope sandals which tie up around the ankle called waraji. The most common variety is basic zori sandals which are the same as flip-flops, or thong sandals. If you have access to Japanese zori sandals, that’s a wonderful options, but plain colored thongs that don’t show modern logos may be useful for starter footwear.

Wallet/Purse

Even if you don’t make use of them during a recreation event, you probably want to keep track of your ID, keys, and cel phone. Having a central place to keep those in case of emergency or on the way home can be very useful. When you put on a kosode, the overlap in front creates a pocket (called a futokoro) that you can use to hold these. Make sure the screen of your phone faces inward so that you don’t have a glowing rectangle on your stomach if someone calls. Alternatively, a cloth drawstring bag can also be a great place to store things.

Water Bottle

Historical recreation events are much more active than most of us are used to in our daily lives. Even indoor events will have you moving around a lot. Keeping water around and making sure to drink it. You should have a water bottle. It would be great if you found a good way to disguise a modern water bottle, but it is more important that you have some kind of water bottle even if it looks modern. Dehydration is no joke and you need to keep water in your system. Please have a water bottle, and please use it.

Food Arrangements

Similar to the need for water, if you are at a reenactment (or LARP) event all day long, you will need to arrange for food. Sometimes these sorts of events will provide food, and you should check on that ahead of time to make sure that it meets with your own dietary requirements. If you have a gluten allergy, and everything is bread, that’s not going to be useful to you. If there isn’t food provided or for sale at the event, make sure to bring some of your own. Something you can eat out of hand is probably easiest. History events can be very busy. For a Japanese flair, onigiri rice balls are filling and fairly easy to make. There are many places online where you can learn how to make them. Some snacks (nuts, crackers, seaweed strips, etc.) for the time between meals can be great, too.

Extras

After you have nailed down what your immediate needs at reenactment events are, you can begin to expand on those to create a more immersive experience for yourself. These are some starter ideas. There’s a lot more to building up your experience, but these are easily accomplished first steps.

Period Appropriate Flatware

Eating utensils in any historic period are different from what we use modernly. You may be able to find wooden turned plates and bowls at reenactment events, renaissance fairs, or even second hand thrift stores. In pre-modern Japan, most plates and bowls were ceramic or lacquerware, but wooden ones should serve equally well as you start your kit. Chopsticks require a little bit of practice to use but if you are up for the challenge, can be a fun skill to master. A knife of some kind may also be useful. The majority of historic Japanese foods were served already cut up or able to be taken apart by chop sticks (like taking a bit of rice from a bowl) but this should be an allowable anachronism when it comes to practicality.

A nice ceramic or wooden cup may also be good for water or any beverages other than water you might encounter. Remember that acidic drinks like lemonades don’t mix well with metal drinking containers.

Tabi

If you are wearing split toe sandals, tabi socks (which have two toe sections; one for the big toe, and one for all the others together) can help keep your feet clean and comfortable. You can purchase tabi socks online or find instructions for making your own. When buying, be aware of the different kinds of size measurements. An American size 12 is different from a European size 12, which are both different from a Japanese 12cm. Modern tabi socks close in the back of the heel with several hook and eyes types closures. Historical tabi usually tie shut around the top. Because those ties are called “himo,” the socks are called “himo-tabi.”

Sitting Down

You should have a place to sit down. Long hours with no options other than standing is exhausting. Again, many events may have places to sit. If an event is held at a school or other indoor venue, there will very likely be seating. Most parks have benches and tables. When out in the wilderness for camping style encounters, it is a good idea to bring some kind of chair (like a folding chair or camp chair) to take a load off. Even a thick outdoor blanket can save you from hard ground and wet grass. There are Japanese options for mats and chairs, but these might be better saved until you have all your bases covered and can expand your kit in a more leisurely fashion.

Swords

Many aspiring samurai may wish to wear swords at their side. This isn’t a bad thing, and many historical and larp groups do allow wearing of weaponry as part of their immersion. Please check with local groups to make sure that wearing swords would be appropriate. Some groups may have safety concerns, which should always be respected, while others have guidelines on who should wear what kinds of items. For example, it is considered impolite in some SCA kingdoms to have weapons while in the presence of the King and Queen for those who have not been bestowed certain awards. This is less of a practical concern, and more of a social one, but you should be mindful of what is polite when coming into a new social group.

Things to Do

Oftentimes, historical reenactment groups can be a sort of “make your own fun” venue. There is a lot to engage in if you know how, but if you aren’t necessarily putting yourself forward, other people may not know to help you become more involved. It is often a good idea to bring something you can do for rest periods between activities or when nothing else in particular sparks your interest. It is advisable to bring something you can work on but which will not isolate you from other people. Coming to events to make friends is more than half the fun. So, books may not be the best option, but many people bring small handicrafts like knitting, or kumihimo braiding. Constructing chainmail is always a rewarding experience. Art projects that you can pick up and put down, like a sketchbook or notebook are also great options.

Upward and Onward

Building a kit for medieval and LARP events can be as simple or complex as you want it to be. It is entirely valid to keep a simple set of clothes and a chair, while other people can spend their whole lives gathering thematic furniture or making their own tents. This is just a primer for you who are coming into the recreation hobby and want to know where to start. We sincerely hope you enjoy attending events and gathering your own little piece of that immersion.

You don’t ever need to worry about anything being exactly perfect. The important thing is to keep on going and doing things you enjoy. We hope to see you out and about in your best and brightest garb.