May 26-30 紅花栄 The Safflower Blossoms

*note: I'm writing this in September. Basically, as soon the temperature rose above 30ºC, my brain shut down and I stopped being able to think and function. I'm backtracking 4 months and this sucks.

I spent this semester sitting on a few undergraduate classes which seemed interesting, and since I am not taking anything for credit, I could actually enjoy the classes for what they had to offer.

One of those classes was an intro to media (TV and Film focused) class. I chatted with the teacher and she was able to arrange for me to go visit the Toei Film Studios where they film Japanese period stuff, and not just the "amusement studio tour" version.

I did accidentally arrive at the studio museum location that day though.

I got to meet the in-studio Costume Head, and as I pull up his business card now, I realize I never wrote down the pronunciation of his name so I have no idea how to read the Kanji.
well.

Turns out he came from a Stunts background, and switched to costumes because his parents were worried for his safety, as he was the only boy amongst their 4 children. He learned all the dressing skills from his senpai, and knows hundreds of kimono obi knots by heart. Said his senpai would be mad if he had to reference notes to tie a simple knot, haha.

The senpai-kouhai relationship is still very much in effect in the design world, and you learn everything from your senpai. There really isn't need for prior education because they depend on real experience in this field.

There's definitely a relationship between class/rank/seasons/poetry when kimono are chosen for certain characters, but it still comes down to what looks good, as per designer.
Villains are usually in dark colours.
Heroes are varied, as there can be "dark" heroes.
For samurai females, a lower rank one wears the Yagasuri (arrowhead) pattern, and as the rank lowers, it goes to a Muji (non-patterned) navy, green, brick.
A Denchi vest usually indicates a strong person.
Light blue/aqua is often for young boys.
Dull colours are often for old ladies/grandmas.
Mizushoubai (which the internet is telling me right now are basically

bar girls/companion ladies/anything related to that type of night-life style) ladies in period kimono are striped kimono.

Shoes, jewelry, swords considered props.

I also got to see some main costume kimono from a film shot in the 50s. The actor's adult son wanted to re-portray the character his father portrayed, but because he was so much taller than his father, they replicated the kimono for him in his size. Comparing the two pieces side by side was amazing, as you could see the difference in quality from the original, and how they tried to make the son's version look just as "rich", but with a noticeably smaller budget.

I was taken to see their kimono stock for BG, asked to see an example kimono where they faked the many layers at the sleeve

cuffs and hems, and got to try to move in an Uchikake. Yeah, Japanese court ladies were not mobile in any way.

I also saw some period sets they kinda have permanently around for old Japanese house interiors, and THERE IS NO SAFETY UP IN THE RAFTERS. There's like, a walkway, a wooden handrail/guard, and that's about it?