Kappogi (coverall apron), Monpe (women's work pants), and Monsura (women's work pants)

Kappogi

Kappogi is a kind of apron originated in Japan and mainly worn over wafuku (Japanese traditional clothes).

It was first designed to protect kimono while one was doing the housework, with its sleeve size and a sleeve length being big enough to put the tamoto (sleeve pouch) of kimono in, and with its mitake (length of clothing) generally hanging to the height of knees (the mitake of some kappogi is as long as kimono.)

Most of the present kappogi are cut round around the collar.

Japan's National Defense Women's Association and kappogi

The kappogi adopted as a uniform by the Japan National Defense Women's Association is thought to have been a type of "clothing for household chores" that was invented by Sachiko SASAKI and introduced in an edition of the magazine "Fujin no Tomo" (a Japanese magazine for urban middle-class women) that was published in 1913.

The Japan's National Defense Women's Association, which was organized in 1932, carried out various activities such as sewing senninbari (a cotton belt with a thousand red stitches, which was an amulet to avoid bullets), seeing off soldiers who were to leave for the front, donating money earned from collecting and selling waste materials, visiting and comforting the soldier's bereaved family, and so on, in the uniform of kappogi and tasuki-gake (tucking up the sleeves of a kimono with a cord) with the slogan "National Defense starts from the Kitchen."

To Put On Kappogi

This section describes an example of common procedures for putting on kappogi over kimono.

Holding the collar straps, take the kappogi off the hanger for kappogi, and untie the collar straps.

At this point, be careful that your bare hand does not touch the outside of the kappogi.

Unfold the kappogi.

Holding the collar straps of the kappogi and being careful to touch only the outside of the kappogi, stretch the kappogi so that the upper part of the sleeves are smooth and then pass each arm through first one sleeve and then the other.

At this point, be careful that your bare hand does not touch the outside of the kappogi.

When it is hard to stick the hands out, pull up the opposite sleeve from the inside of the kappogi.

At this time, if an adjustable strap is attached to the lining of the kappogi, and its position is on the obijime (decorative string used to hold a kimono sash in place) of the kimono, tie and fasten the adjustable strap to the obijime.

To Take Off Kappogi

This section describes an example of common procedures for hanging kappogi on the hanger for kappogi.

Holding the inside of the sleeve of the kappogi with the left hand, pull the right hand.