Kijimuna Mythical Costumes

Kijimuna??!! What thing is that?

Kijimuna is a mischievous spirit (fairy) from Okinawa, southern part of Japan. It has red hair and reddish skin.

In 2006, I was asked to do Chon Chon Kijimuna dance at Japanese Culture Festival (Gelar Jepang UI), Depok. There were 3 person who will do this dance; 1 female, 2 male. To catch the fairy image, we need to pay attention to the costumes.

So, who will make the costumes?? Yeeah, it's me!! I took the challenge to make Kijimuna Mythical Costumes!

I browsed Kijimuna image. In Ryukyumura, the female Kijimuna wears green leaves bra and skirt while the male Kijimuna wears red fundoshi (japanese traditional underwear). But we couldn't wear those things for dancing, could we?? ;p

Eventhough I covered Kijimuna dance from Hanayakara group but I didn't want to make the similar costumes with them. Some of them wear red curly wig, legging, and skirt. While the rest wear green curly wig, legging, and skirt. All have same design.

But.. not with my Kijimuna. My Kijimuna Mythical Costumes are customized. Each costume should portray the personal characteristic of each Kijimuna. The color pallete I used is green and red.

For female Kijimuna, the main color for the outfit is green, inspired by female Kijimuna from Ryukumura. The concept of this costume is Kijimuna from the royal family. I bought green sleeveless top and I added drappery around the front and the back side. I designed and sewed the red-separated-sleeve for right arm. And you know what??! I found green-hibiscus-legging!! Hibiscus grows widely in Okinawa so my legging could represents Okinawa. The tutu skirt designed and sewed by me. It has 2 parts: white tulle peplum tutu as the inner and green chiffon skirt as the outer. Many green leaves surrounding the waist. Red devil horns showed the naughty side of Kijimuna.

For male Kijimuna, the main color for the outfit is red, inspired by male Kijimuna from Ryukyumura. All parts were designed and sewed by me. The first costume was inspired from kimono collar. Zigzag cutting can be seen from the collar, the bottom part of the top, and the bottom part of the pants. Green sleeves attached on it. After tied with obi, green leaves went around the waist. The second costume was inspired from warrior bodysuit, with the layering chest and shoulder. It has see-through red tulle on the tummy part. Green sleeves attached on it. The waist was surrounded by green leaves.

Kijimuna went to Italy!! Yippie!! ^o^/

I got scholarship for learning Italian language in Universita per Stranieri di Perugia started on July, 2006. Besides my daily outfits, I also brought my Kijimuna costume to there. Well, just in case.

                                                                                                                                                                    

                         And it was true! I got a chance to perform in the university event in the end of August!! The event name was Concerto A.Gi.MUS - "Aperto per Ferie XII" - Studenti stranieri in concerto - Canti, ritmi e danze dal Mondo. So, it's about songs, musics, and dances from foreign students of Universita per Stranieri di Perugia.

Instead of reddish skin, I got my natural tan skin as Kijimuna. The costume I wore was still the same, but the leaves chain was moving around the right arm.

Summer end, the autumn came. Sogno Fantastico, a talent organizer lead by Vincenzo Vescarelli in Perugia, asked me to join a performance in a little girl's birthday party. Of course I couldn't wear the same Kijimuna style like before. My Kijimuna costumes were created only for tropical climate. 

So, I took my white sleeveless turtle neck, green jacket, white tights, and white shoes combined with green chiffon skirt and white tutu skirt. I reverse the inner and outer skirt for different style. One thing that I couldn't believe until now that the Italian children reckoned me as Trilli (Italian name for Tinker Bell in Disney version).

One year later (2007), Kijimuna had a gig in Japanese Culture Festival in Hilton Hotel, Jakarta. Well, I tell you a secret.. My Kijimuna Mythical Costumes have speciality, each costume can grow as the character grow up. So, here's the growth..

Female Kijimuna costume has light green leaves, dark green leaves, and golden leaves on it. Few small white flowers and golden suckers spread out. There were golden leaves crown on the head and dark green leaves bracelet around the left wrist. To represent Elf ears, the silver leaves sticked closed to the ears. Bells surrounded the left foot.

The previous 2 male Kijimuna had missions to do. So here came the new male. Actually the top & the pants were not the pairs. But that's not the big deal. The top has the rank that consist of 3 light green leaves and 1 dark leaf in each side. Both the top and the pants got light green leaves, dark green leaves, golden leaves, and golden suckers. The golden leaves crowned  the head and dark green leaves bracelet surrounded the right wrist. Next to the ears, the male had dark green leaves stick on. The left foot got the bells.

                                                                     In the next year, 2008, 1 male off and 2 female came. Means I had to make new costumes for the female. 

The golden leaves crowns and the silver leaves ears were doubled so the three female Kijimuna had the same. Dark green leaves bracelets and anklets surrounded the wrists and ankles of the newcomers. Only the former female got the bells anklet and red maple leaves chain surrounded the waist. 

None of hibiscus nor green legging founded so crimson leggings bought for the newcomers. 

For the top & bottom, the concept is as the pairs of the previous male.

Kimono collar is a must. The top made from green and red satin. The sleeves are green chiffon and red tulle. The top has rank consist of small golden leaves and big dark green leaves. Those leaves surrounded the collar. The bottom consist of white layered tulle tutu and green layered chiffon skirt. No leaf attached.

The other top is sleeveless and has red tulle ribbon on each shoulder. The top made from green satin with few leaves and suckers attached on it. This Kijimuna is a pair of the warrior so she has duty to take care the banyan tree. It can be seen from the red ribbons and the green chiffon skirt that looks like aerial roots of banyan tree. It has white tulle tutu as the inner.

                                                                                                                                                                  

In 2010, four Kijimuna Mythical costumes were upgraded. I also retouch the "Chon Chon Kijimuna" dance choreography. Not only that, I created Bon Odori movement for Chon Chon Kijimuna so the audience can join the same dance with us. Many Kijimuna performances we did in this year. Many styles of costumes shown to the public.

Many leaves were added. Besides the red, now we have the green and the reddish maple leaves chains. Elf ears were shaped and made from the flannel. Green maple leaves grow in the middle of the golden leaves crowns. Just once, the red furry wigs covered the heads.

Look at the back side of the green chiffon skirt. It has green tulle ribbon attached on it. While the back side of the tutu got double green leaves peep out. 

The back of the top got golden and green leaves. The leaves also attached on the skirt.

As the duty to take care the banyan tree, leaves were attached and formed the tree in the front side of the top. The separated green chiffon skirt were united, just left few slits. Several leaves were added to the skirt.

The pants already got its leaves since 2008. So just need to upgrade the top. It has rank made from the green leaves on each shoulder. The kimono collar was decorated with the leaves. The back side of the top got three golden leaves.

Finally, in 2012, I could go to Kijimuna's homeland, Okinawa! Yeah! I saw many Kijimuna in Ryukyumura, Onna village, Okinawa.

If you wanna see Kijimuna performance or wanna make some mythical costumes, just drop your comment in here.