I will be wearing a tomesode (a formal kimono worn by married relatives) for a wedding,
and my old bag no longer felt quite right, so I decided to look for a new one.
Visit date: April 8, 2026 (Wednesday)
Looking for a formal kimono bag
After passing through Nishiki Market, I walked through the streets.
I was looking for a bag to match a tomesode.
I stopped by a secondhand kimono shop,
but somehow it didn’t feel right for formal wear.
I also looked into stores with new items.
The ones I liked were, as expected, priced accordingly.
50,000 yen.
It made me laugh a little.
Having a purpose made the walk feel more enjoyable.
In the shopping arcade, I saw a foreign child turning a capsule toy machine.
With hands together, almost as if praying.
I thought, it’s the same everywhere.
I entered a shop that rents and sells kimono.
They told me about Senba Center Building in Honmachi, Osaka,
where both old and new kimono, zori sandals, and bags are gathered in one place.
My world felt a little wider.
As I walked through a few more shops,
in one of them, my eyes stopped on a small bag in a corner.
A brand-new mini tote, priced at 5,000 yen.
It was light, and seemed easy to use.
The shop staff said it could be used even for a wedding.
I started to wonder what it was that I truly wanted.
At another shop, I saw a shibori bag.
66,000 yen.
Its quality was obvious at first glance.
But I had no idea how many times I would actually use it.
This wasn’t it, I thought.
Before I knew it, I had lost track of the earlier shop.
I searched a little, and found it again.
And then, I bought it.
After returning home, I looked more closely at the tag.
It said: Nishijin textile, pure silk.
That surprised me, just a little.
Now, I am practicing how to wear kimono.
I still cannot dress myself.
Someday,
I hope I can dress others,
and visit a museum wearing kimono.
Next, I plan to go to the wholesale district in Osaka,
which I was told about,
to look for zori sandals.
👉 The walk from this day will be shared in a separate article.
(coming soon)