AikiWeb: The Source for Aikido Information AikiWeb's principal purpose is to serve the Internet community as a repository and dissemination point for aikido information.
Hello and thank you for visiting AikiWeb, the
world's most active online Aikido community! This site is home to
over 22,000 aikido practitioners from around the world and covers a
wide range of aikido topics including techniques, philosophy, history,
humor, beginner issues, the marketplace, and more.
If you wish to join in the discussions or use the other advanced
features available, you will need to register first. Registration is
absolutely free and takes only a few minutes to complete so sign up today!
March is the traditional time for graduation ceremonies in Japan. But in 2011 after the devastation of the Tohoku earthquake many ceremonies were cancelled to save electricity.
At university graduation ceremonies in Japan men normally wear suits. Women can wear suits but kimono and hakama are traditional. The hakama are not split like a martial arts hakama. The length of the kimono is adjusted by a fold at the waist. Long trailing furisode sleeves are worn by unmarried women. Women normally wear white tabi split-toe socks and formal zori sandals with kimono. But for a few years many young women have been wearing ankle boots together with hakama. That gives a nostalgic feeling of the Taisho era (1912-1926) and period novels and movies like Botchan or Sorekara by Soseki Natsume.
2011's women graduates will never get to wear hakama.