Hakama
The hakama (Japanese袴) is a kind of pleated culottes with wide-cut legs, which covers the body from about the waist down. It is part of traditional Japanese outerwear.
Appearance
The Hakama is made of a front and a back. In this the hakama is divided by a respective tapered neck (脇明 き, waki -aki ) on the sides. Both front and rear has a hakama on vertical folds (襞, hida or襞 目, hidame ). He is with long ribbons (袴 帯, hakama, obi ) tied at the hip. The lower back -fitting, trapezoidal part (腰板, koshi - ita ) is particularly enhanced.
Basically, two types of hakama are distinguished: Either a hakama, a long skirt or he has at the bottom of two tubular " legs " ( Gore, Japanese裆, machi ). This second type umanori - Bakama (马 乘 袴, dt " Reithakama " ) or machidaka - Bakama (裆 高 袴, dt " Hochzwickelhakama " ) was originally developed for mounted samurai and today represents the more common variant dar.
The " legs " can be very narrow, such as the yama - Bakama (山 袴, dt " Berghakama " ) or extremely loose and wide as the machidaka - Bakama. There are also Hakama, such as the the ( " Lampenhakama "行 灯 袴, dt ) andon Bakama do not have separate " legs ", but like a rock formed.
Hakama are available in different colors: indigo blue, black, gray (also with fine stripes ) and white. In martial arts, is white above all from Sensei or even worn by women; the other Hakamaträger carry the typical Japanese Indigo Blue; black is merely a variant of this dar. The gray or striped hakama is ( etc. wedding, tea ceremony ) and the scarlet worn almost exclusively in ceremonial occasions of a Miko.
Etymology
The word hakama can already be found in the first two Japanese Empire from the 8th century chronicles, the Kojiki and Nihongi which, again. About the etymology of the term there are a number of different theories. In the notation帯 裳( reading: hakimo ) that " to gird belt" and " dress, skirt " consists of the two characters, the term refers to a garment that is worn from the waist down and is secured by straps on the hip will. The most common interpretation today is that the original meaning of the word by the notation穿 裳( reading: hakimo ) is expressed. The characters' dress, skirt " is preceded by a sign here, the importance of which is expressed as a verb tightening of shoes or leg clothing. Today's standard notation for Hakama is袴.
History
Today, a tachiage version called the yama - Bakama applies from Miyazaki prefecture on Kyushu as the most primitive form of hakama. It consists of two separate leggings that are attached with ribbons.
As in Japan, the Chinese culture of the Tang Dynasty ( 618-906 ) became a great inspiration during the Nara period ( 710-784 ), was among other things, a type of white hakama for prescribed integral part of the ceremonial, yard and office clothing. Also horseback riding and dancing he was used.
With the beginning of a cultural prosperity since the Heian period (794-1185) of the hakama was becoming an increasingly important component of male clothing. The clothing style was more differentiated and developed detailed ideas about what should be the form of clothing to wear what kind of hakama. As since the mid-16th century was the forerunner of today's kimono, called kosode to the usual clothing, it was used in the men's hakama to major developments. Thus, for example, developed the " Hüftbrettchen " ( koshi - ita ), the special shape of the folds and the length of the hem. Also, shape, material, function, and the way to attract the hakama, was defeated in the ensuing period many changes.
During the Edo period, the hakama was used as leg protection of mounted samurai against bushes and scrub. Until the Second World War, it was quite normal to encounter in the public men in hakama and haori. After that, more and more Japanese chose western clothes for everyday life. Today, the hakama is worn almost exclusively as formal clothing at ceremonies and scream visits, the traditional Japanese dance and Artists ( mainly without leg division ) as well as in various martial arts and the Japanese tea ceremony ( with leg division ).
However, the hakama was not just a piece of clothing for men. As early as the Heian period wore ladies to their existing multi-layered garment ( junihitoe ) a usually red hakama. Later this garment played hardly any role in the female fashion and emerged only with the advent of modernity back on. With the introduction of modern education and the school system in which now also girls and women were taken into account, played the hakama as part of the school uniform during the Meiji and the subsequent Taishō period (1868-1912) an important role. The Schulhakamas were typically reddish brown, green or purple and so worked without gusset as andon Bakama, like a rock. With the rapid spread of western fashion in Japan, the hakama but disappeared rather quickly from the streets. As formal wear the hakama today including playing in women still play a role in closing ceremonies of the universities where still seem to many graduates in furisode kimono hakama.
At weddings and other formal occasions, where today Japanese clothing is worn, men typically appear in kimono, hakama and haori ( an over jacket) and women in leg long kimono.
Budō
In Budo ( kendo, aikido, Iaidō etc.) and related forms of exercise such as Kinomichi be worn Hakama made of cotton or synthetic fabric ( Dacron ); Cotton is more robust, but it wrinkles easily. The associated clothing of the upper body is called Keiko -Gi.
The garment is by its fixed wrapping the midsection improve posture on the one hand, on the other hand, it obscures the leg movements from the enemy. The seven folds in the usual Budō Hakama - five in front, two rear - are supposed to be associated with the seven virtues of the samurai:
- Jin (仁) - Quality
- Gi (义) - Justice / the right decision
- Rei (礼) - courtesy / etiquette
- Chi (智) - wisdom / intelligence
- Shin (信) - sincerity
- Chugi (忠义) - Loyalty
- Meiyo (名誉) - honor / respect
However, this is also regarded as an invention of modern times. The folds in hakama were probably developed during the Edo or Meiji period for military purposes and were often provided with left right 4 3 folds. This should serve to ensure that the right leg is replaced by a slightly greater range of motion due to the additional fuel stop, which gives when getting up from the seiza position ( on knees ) and pull the sword in an emergency a slight but vital advantage.