Japanese prefer Western dress over kimonos
There is also the question of cost. Shoji said only the very rich in Japan can afford to buy the nicest kimonos, priced at about 10 million yen, or $4,600.
Wada said nightclub and cabaret owners were eager customers until the entertainment business fell apart.
"These mama-sans carried the industry. For them, it was their uniform. But since the bubble burst, 10 or 15 years ago, they don't have the money," said Wada.
San Francisco Chronicle / Saturday, February 08, 2003
