Nobuaki Tomita, 45, a Kyoto-based kimono stylist and designer, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch of a baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles wearing one of his original kimono to promote the traditional clothing and Japanese culture internationally..."I'd like to promote Japanese culture through kimono," Tomita said. "I can't carry temples overseas, but if I just wear a kimono, people immediately associate it with our culture"...When he throws out the first pitch, he will wear a kimono he designed featuring images of Los Angeles, such as Universal Studios Hollywood and freeways. The patterns are drawn in blue on a white base--the Los Angeles Dodgers' colors--with touches of red. Like a baseball uniform, the kimono bears his name on the back...Tomita said of his kimono: "I have all my pieces made by craftspeople in Japan. I may not be a good businessman as many kimono are now made in China for greater profit. But there's something wrong when domestic makers continue to close down"...The kimono he will wear at Dodger Stadium used spa water from Saga Prefecture in the dying process to keep it soft...more...
I'm looking forward to seeing that creation. Tomita is an interesting bloke. He was recently involved in a photo shoot called "Kimono and Bikes":
