Kosonte and Ruwunpe

Kosonte and Ruwunpe is the 12th special exhibition of the National Ainu Museum. The exhibition looks at Ainu clothing and the world of fashion that grew out of exchange between the Ainu and Honshu.

The exhibition centres on two kinds of garment. The kosonte is a form of Ainu formal wear; its name comes from kosode, the mainland robe seen as the forerunner of the kimono. Kosode worn by samurai-class women in Honshu took on a new role in Ainu culture as ceremonial dress for men. The prized cloth was also reused, cut up and worked into the patterns and decoration of the ruwunpe, a distinct Ainu robe. Across the garments, the choices of fabric, colour and pattern reflect each maker's own eye and invention.

The displays move from historical to contemporary. They include rare early kosode, among them an Azuchi-Momoyama period example designated an Important Cultural Property, and trace how Ainu patterns in turn found their way into kabuki costume and kimono. The final section brings the story up to date with present-day ruwunpe, in which makers keep traditional techniques alive while adding new designs and colours, from the vivid to the restrained.

The run includes a symposium on Ainu clothing, hands-on embroidery and bag-making workshops, and gallery talks, some aimed at children. On 21 and 22 September, Upopoy's mascot TureppoN is joined at the museum entrance by the official characters of the Tokyo and Kyoto National Museums.

The exhibition is held in the Special Exhibition Room on the second floor of the National Ainu Museum, within Upopoy, and runs in two halves, with some items changing partway through.