therefore seen as disrespectful whether it was intended or not other cultures

are cool but there's a fine line between appreciation and appropriate I think

it's really a leftist agenda to divide us it's accused of demeaning its culture

Kim Kardashian is slammed for cultural appropriation *various news headlines about cultural appropriation*

*various news headlines about cultural appropriation* oh boy let's get into it

The issue of cultural appropriation has become a controversial topic that sees a huge

divide in opinions from around the world it's hard to have the discussion because

you're so afraid of somebody being offended or not even knowing how you

might offend somebody that's when it becomes a problem one culture that's no

exception to that is Japan there are many different types of traditional

clothing in Japan as the yukata hakama happi hiyoko uchikake fundoshi, nemaki and

Haori just to name a few but none of them have become as famous overseas as

the kimono kim kardashian announced her new shapewear line called kimono

oh no I I meant like actual kimono the kimono dates as far back in history as

794 yes that is an actual year as a garnment made of straight cuts of

fabric to suit a huge variety of bodies it was worn by every Japanese

person and it became an identifier to make it obvious who was Japanese and who

were foreigners you know in just in case we didn't stand out enough as it was in

the Meiji period they changed the name to kimono which literally just means

thing to wear but they also encourage people to wear more western style

clothing as well they did this for a number of reasons but the main reason

was how long it took to put on so it takes about 30 minutes or so to put

it on so let's get started the 30 minutes it took to put on I count

to ten individual pieces that went into the final work and everything had a

significant purpose

Now when I say that it's difficult to put on I literally mean

have a snack and some water before you get started and then when it's done good

luck with doing so much just putting on your socks because it is tight and now

comes the difficult part of filming the rest of the day whilst also dressing like

this makes it very hard for you to bend down and as if I don't get stared at enough

I'm gonna step out in a kimono excellent ready for the stares

so we have been such a huge culturally significant piece of clothing you'd

think that they'd want to keep it that way right well yes they do

kimono these days is basically only worn to special events and formal functions

and things like that but it's also worn for fun at things like festivals as

kind of like a way to experience and appreciate your own culture and just have

fun with it and as far as I can tell they want foreigners to do the same thing

now for some people the question posed in the title of this video is pretty

obvious but in the crazy world that we live in nowadays where people are trying

not to offend another person while they're trying not to get cancelled I

have seen the question pop up from a couple of foreigners recently saying

that they would like to come to Japan to try on a kimono but they don't want to

be a part of Culture Appropriation so what is cultural appropriation well to paraphrase Lindsey

Ellis the term itself is actually neutral it's defined as the adoption of

elements of one culture by members of another culture so yes technically me

wearing a kimono is a form of cultural appropriation but please don't spread

the word because that term has got a completely different meaning nowadays

this is literally racist I say no to inappropriate cultural appropriation if

you a white girl don't understand how wearing a native headdress is

inappropriate you need to read a book educate yourself bitch this this is not

cute or funny it's racist and culturally appropriate, CA is part of the cultural

homogenization and eventually extinction, Halloween is nearly here and picking a costume can

be tricky, this is disrespectful you can't walk around acting like it's a fashion statement

Aussie cultural appropriation and y'all still stan her okay this one literally

doesn't make any sense I don't know what is like culturally Australian about her

outfit unless it's the trousers? but maybe they're talking about the kangaroo I

don't know quite honestly the further I dive into this topic the more I realize

how complex it is there's a reason that no one can seem to agree on this topic

and that's because there's no way to simplify it this video could be an hour

long and we'd still have no definitive answer I do think though that there's a

lot to be said about the people involved the context and the intent behind it but

even then that's no formula for an agreeable answer so instead of trying

and failing to understand and explain what is okay and what isn't in terms of

cultural appropriation in the context of the world although feel free to discuss

that in the comments instead I'm just going to focus on this video's topic

what do Japanese people think about foreigners wearing kimono

I think it's really beautiful! you don't feel any kind of like like disrespect or anything like

that? no not at all by that I think it's a little bit complicated for foreigners

to wear the kimono they should have someone who knows how to put it on

So that they can wear it properly? yeah right right right So for non-Japanese people

trying Japanese culture it's really nice thing I love it but if they

kind of well you know wear it some different way I wanna let them know like well that's a bit different

Do you know anyone who doesn't like foreigners wearing Kimono?

to say that they also aren't some Japanese people whose opinions differ

from these however they would almost certainly be the exception not the rule

so far as I can tell from what I've learned from asking my friends and

things like that about issues that people may have with foreigners wearing

kimono is if they're wearing it incorrectly literally just like two

minutes ago I was setting up my camera

there and then a Japanese lady walked past and kind of kind of without even

asking she just came up behind me and said sumimasen, chotto naoshimasu ne

like I guess I may have like crushed a little bit when I was in the taxi

the taxi so do you feel as though the only time that people really care about

it is if it's worn incorrectly or one without enough care to kind of give

justice to the beautiful piece of significant clothing that it actually is

so both the times that have won the kimono and all of many many many times

that I've won yukata I've never never ever never ever ever ever have I ever

received any kind of negative remark not even so much as like a an unhappy face

looked in my direction and often Japanese people want to want to try and

get photos with me wearing it or something like that and I think that it

is because for Japanese people to wear kimono is to experience and appreciate

their culture and when they see a foreign are doing the same thing that's

what it is I can't speak for everybody's experiences like other people were any

kimonos and things like that but even for a lot of my foreign friends when

they've won kimono your cuffs or anything like that I've never even heard

of any of them receiving any kind of negative remarks from a Japanese person

for wearing it which is why the Karli Kloss kimono controversy shocked me when

I first heard about it Vogue magazine and supermodel Karlie Kloss is once

again under fire for a recent photo shoot gone wrong photos inside the mag

featured Karlie Kloss dressed as a Geisha aka a traditional Japanese entertainer

she wasn't dressed like a Geisha what who said that Karlie received so much

criticism for being a white woman cast in a Japanese theme spread that she was

forced to release an apology via Twitter so all of this backlash was for cultural

appropriation but unsurprisingly the people accusing her of it weren't

actually a part of the culture in question it's in this bag oh that's

white guilt right well we've all got a bit of that so what a Japanese people

have to say about it I'm Japanese but this doesn't make me angry if someone

asks if this is authentic Japan I would answer that it's not but I don't feel

any insult I'm Japanese but I think this is just odd work I don't know why it

matters this is beautiful next time why don't you try dressing as a Michael

ninja samurai or general almost all Japanese are pleased that foreigners are

involved in Japanese culture most Japanese people will just say it's not

discrimination please don't say sorry I like it it's beautiful thank you for

your interest in our culture these are beautiful it feels really cool thank you

for wearing it everyone's too sensitive about these things none of the people

criticizing her a Japanese so why do people that have nothing to do with it

criticize her where is the racism are you crazy I mean we could probably just

end the video right there to be honest. so I'm not making this video to speak on behalf of

anyone or any culture and especially not to just you know point my finger at

people that accuse cultural appropriation even when it's not that's

not at all what my intention is and I'm certainly not trying to oversimplify an

issue that is inherently complex I am making this video however for foreigners

that are coming to Japan and they really want to get involved in Japanese culture

and they want to try on a kimono maybe you go to a matsuri and a photo shoot

have fun with their friends that kind of thing it's okay no one is going to think

it'll of you for trying to experience and see Japanese culture I know that

this is actually quite a serious topic and a sensitive one for some people and

some minorities and I certainly can't speak for you while your experiences I

believe that me having lived in Japan for about five years and actively doing

my best to learn the language and about the culture and the traditions and the

people I truly believe that if Japan held on to their traditions and their

cultures and their and activist gatekeepers saying like no this is this

is just for Japanese people you don't get to experience this I really think

that if that was the attitude that I felt from the people when I came here I

won I wouldn't have felt as welcome as I do in this country and too I wouldn't

have learned as much as I have learned that's one of the wonderful parts about

being in this country is how open and warm and welcoming all of the people are

here and they really do love it when foreigners try to appreciate their

culture and want to learn more about it and I've really believed that that kind

of open attitude has helped me to come to know what it truly means to

appreciate a culture oh I'm sweating I know if it's because it's like a hut and

I've got ten layers on right now or if it's just because I gave my opinion for

once on my channel Oh imagine thank you so much for watching this video if you

liked it give it a thumbs up wanna see more subscribe I would love to hear what

your experiences are maybe not necessarily about you know foreigners in

Japan in kimono but you know the cultures or you know what it's like in

your country and that kind of thing it's a super interesting topic it's like

a really big conversation starter that I actually like really like having this

kind of conversation with people in person you know I'm such a crowd pleaser

that been said only that's the end of the video thanks for watching guys

Look at it, look at it! and the sleeves act as like a giant pocket it's amazing my phone is in here

So pretty! You know what, I feel like? I feel like kylo Ren in Star

Wars and he's just turns around like *BOOM* just like like thick as a

fridge. Haha that's how I feel like kylo Ren good job Hannah nice