In June, ESOL students presented workshops to the community about aspects of their cultures as part of Katikati's Festival of Cultures. Riko and Miyu talked about kimono.

Riko writes: "On Tuesday June 18 I demonstrated about kimono with Miyu at the Katikati Public Library.

We did it two times. The first time, three people came and at the second time three sisters and their mother came.

First, Miyu talked about history of kimono. She said it originated about 1400 years ago then there was no heater so the people whose social class was high wore a kimono over another kimono at same time in winter. But in modern Japan, there are few Japanese who wear kimono as everyday clothes because Western clothes came to Japan about 400 years ago.

Next I talked about what kind of Japanese people wear it, and the differences between kimono and yukata.

Finally, we demonstrated how to wear yukata. At the second time, the middle girl offered us that she wanted to wear it. After that they asked us some questions and the mother took the hand out about kimono and she said she would put it on the fridge so I was really glad to hear that."