毎日のように都市を移動しながらの夏の巡業公演、きもので過ごす毎日の、汗対策も教えていただきました。 
汗取りにはワッフル状の綿素材の肌着をご愛用。「洋服用の機能性インナーなども試しましたが、表面に凹凸のあるこの肌着は、汗をかいても肌にぴったりとくっつかないので、快適に過ごせます」と、玉緒さん。さらに帯枕には市販のヘチマを角を落として形を整え、晒やガーゼをかけたものを使用。帯板も通気性の良い綿素材のものを使う工夫をしているそう。 「伺ったところによると、裾よけの替わりに女性用のステテコをはくと、下半身の汗染み対策に効果的なのだとか。茶道など長時間きもので正座をする方には、愛用者が多いそうですよ」。 
さらに、襦袢の生地は、夏冬問わずに絹地に特殊加工を施したものをお召しだそう。「汗をかいてもすぐに乾いてサラっとするので、絽の襦袢地より涼しく過ごせます。主人も襲名にあたり、紋付用にこの生地で襦袢を仕立て、夫婦で愛用しています」。 移動の多い公演なので、脱いだきものは、すぐ翌朝には畳んで次の公演地へ向かう荷造りをしないとなりません。 「きものを畳む時に薄紙を挟むことで、少しは湿気が吸い取られるようです。最近のホテルはきものを吊るすハンガーを引っ掛けることのできる鴨居などがありませんので、その点では、ちょっと苦労しますね」 襲名興行のファイナルとなる巡業公演、役者さんもスタッフも、そしてロビーでお客様をお迎えする奥さまがたも、どうぞ千穐楽まで暑さに負けず、各地で舞台を盛り上げていただきたいですね。
Bettyokoジュエリージャーナリストとして活躍する傍ら、歌舞伎、文楽、バレエをはじめ観劇ライフを満喫中のBettyと、米国・ヒューストンでの生活経験を生かし、日本文化を海外に伝える活動をしているYokoによるユニット。
https://www.instagram.com/bettyoko.kbk/ Bettyoko’s Kimono Diary
Go to the Theatre in Kimonos Vol.32
Shochiku Grand Kabuki Road Show Central Bound
IMOSEYAMA ONNA TEIKIN(Admonitions to Women on Their Relationships with Men) MIKASAYAMA GOTEN (Mikasayama Palace) Shochiku Grand Kabuki Road Show Central Bound launched for the north area on June 30. I went to see it at Otaku Civic Hall Aprico on the first day and Fuchu’s Forest Arts Theater on the second day. This show is the final series of the ceremonial performance of new stage name succession of Nakamura Jakuemon V. The performance will travel every city with the truck which all costumes and props are loaded every day. This story is based on the Taika coup in 645. A young girl Omiwa (played by Nakamura Jakuemon) loves Motome. Omiwa follows him and tries to see beloved Motome, and reaches the palace of her rival in love. She is ordered to do some things to see him by the maids of the palace, and she follows the all orders even though they are embarrassed things. Finally, she learns that she was just teased and betrayed by Motome, and her look turns into a furious face. Then Fukashichi (played by Nakamura Kichiemon) comes to kill her. He tells her that Motome is Tankai who tries to overthrow the statesman Soga no Iruka, and he needs to get her blood to be successful in this plot. Then Omiwa is glad to know that the man she loves is noble and she sacrifice her life to ensure his success when she is just about to die. It is very hard for us in this day to understand her thinking, but Jakuemon’s acting magically made me empathize with Omiwa. It is the convincing acting skill of Jakuemon who succeeded the great stage name of onnagata (specialist of female role) and has a rich experience of performances. Mrs. Tamao, Jakuemon’s wife, has supported this special performance of new stage name succession for 16 months. She wore Edo-yuzen (a kind of dyed fabric of kimono) tsukesage (a kind of formal kimono), and it had the patterns of many Japanese treasures designed paper slip. She selected the hitoe kimono (without lining kimono) on the last day of June, and she looked beautiful. On July 1st, she wore natsu-kimono (summer kimono) and rotsuzure obi (sash of summer kimono). The kimono had plover design on the patterns of waves. I asked her the reason why she chose this design, in spite of Jakuemon’s family crest sparrow. She told that she ordered to embroider it on her kimono to welcome the geisha girls from Ponto-cho, because the theatre’s crest is plover. How sophisticated omotenashi concern it is!The summer road show needs to take measures to sweat in kimono. She uses the underwear made from roughly woven cotton. “I tried high-tech underwear for Western clothes, but this is the best because it doesn’t cling to the body and I always feel so good”. She uses sponge cucumber with trimmed off the corners and wrapped with sarashi cotton or gauze as Obimakura (pad in a sash of kimono). As for Obiita (flat pat in a sash of kimono), she chooses cotton material. “I heard that woman’s steteko (underwear pants) can work as susoyoke (underskirt of kimono) for avoiding making sweat stain. Many people who needs to sit down in kimono for long time, just like in a tea ceremony, love to use it” She also uses silk material with special processing as juban (underwear of kimono). “When I sweat, it will dry so quickly. It is the best material. My husband also ordered this juban for montsuki (men’s formal kimono). We are enjoying using this.” They need to change kimono and pack them quite often to leave for the next place. “When we fold the kimono, we put thin paper slip between layers to remove moisture. Lately there are no kamoi (lintel) for hanging the kimonos in hotel rooms, so it is a problem for us. It is the final road show of special performance of new stage name succession. I hope that all actors, staffs and wives who welcome the audiences at the lobby will support the stages at every place safe and sound until the final!
The unit of Betty and YokoBetty; jewelry journalist, enjoys watching stages of Kabuki, Bunraku, Balllet, and so on. Yoko; lived in the U.S.A for 10 years. Loves to introduce Japanese culture to abroad.
https://www.instagram.com/bettyoko.kbk/ 
