I took this photograph at a temple in Nara, Japan, where I happened to visit at the same time that a Shinto wedding was taking place. This was not posed; the woman in the picture happened to turn around at just the right moment, allowing me to get the shot.
In case you’re curious, the type of clothing she’s wearing is called a “junihitoe.” The variety is “karaginu mo,” and it originated in the Heian period of ancient Japan. (I thought you might want to know, since those aren’t listed as keywords for this piece yet.)
Most of the time, Japanese brides just wear “shiro-maku” with one fancy outer layer, the “uchikake.” The junihitoe is a type of royal clothing from about 1,000 years ago and is usually worn now only by the Imperial Family on special occasions. This woman must be incredibly wealthy, to wear one for her wedding! It’s a beautiful photograph. Finding art of junihitoe is difficult, since they aren’t worn very often- and you got the colors perfectly. :)
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In case you’re curious, the type of clothing she’s wearing is called a “junihitoe.” The variety is “karaginu mo,” and it originated in the Heian period of ancient Japan. (I thought you might want to know, since those aren’t listed as keywords for this piece yet.)
Most of the time, Japanese brides just wear “shiro-maku” with one fancy outer layer, the “uchikake.” The junihitoe is a type of royal clothing from about 1,000 years ago and is usually worn now only by the Imperial Family on special occasions. This woman must be incredibly wealthy, to wear one for her wedding! It’s a beautiful photograph. Finding art of junihitoe is difficult, since they aren’t worn very often- and you got the colors perfectly. :)