Some Japanese Gifts available at Japanya

Some of the Japanese Gifts available at www.japanya.co.uk

As well as stocking a wide range of Japanese kimono and yukata Japanya offers a selection of beautiful Japanese gifts.  Read about Japanese gift giving here.

Cotton Haori Jackets

Our Haori Jackets are suitable for wearing on top of Japanese or Western Clothing

Click to find at Japanya

Popular Kimono Motifs Part 5: The Chrysanthemum

Images of the chrysanthemum or kiku are widely seen in Japanese culture with a 16 petal variety most famously being adopted by the imperial family as their mon family crest.

Japanese Earrings with Chrysanthemum Patterns

The chrysanthemum was originally imported from China to Japan for its medicinal properties during the Nara period. As well as being a symbol of longevity, the chrysanthemum due to the orderly unfolding of it's petals, is regarded by many Japanese as a symbol of perfection .

The chrysanthemum motif is seen on many of Japanya's products including origami paper, furoshiki wrapping cloths, our own handmade earrings (coming soon) as well as two of our women's kimono gowns.

Japanese Yukata with Chrysanthemum and Plum Pattern

Japanese Kimono with Colourful Chrysanthemum

A Kimono Gown For Your Special Day!

A Japanya kimono would make a wonderful keepsake gift for a bride, her bridesmaids or other important members of the wedding part.

Our new range of Crane and Peony knee-length kimono wrappers are perhaps particularly suitable gowns to wear when getting ready for a your big day, as "crane couples" are believed to stay together for life and are symbols of fidelity!

Crane and Peony Kimono Wrapper

Some Popular Kimono Motifs Part 4: The Japanese Dragon

Dragon with three claws

The Japanese dragon is a  mythological creature popular in Japanese culture. It and other Oriental dragons, unlike their Western equivalents, are depicted as much more serpentine and are often associated with rain and water. Oriental dragons also lack wings but as magical beings were able to fly by magic. You can recognize a Japanese dragon by the number of claws it has, Japanese dragons having just three. The Japanese believed that all dragons originated in Japan and the further away from Japan you traveled the more claws the dragon would have (for instance Korean dragons are depicted with 4 claws!)

Namiryu or Sea Dragon

Unlike the evil dragons of Western culture, Eastern dragons were seen as noble creatures with some even having roles as protectors. Their images are often seen as statues outside temples and shrines particularly in the form of water features.

Click here to view Japanya's dragon related products!

Some Popular Kimono Motifs Part 3: The Cherry Blossom

Flowers, a major feature of kimono design, are used to represent different seasons of the year. A kimono designed with cherry blossoms would traditionally be worn in spring or summer.  (A kimono with a maple leaf design would be worn in the autumn and a kimono designed with bamboo, pine trees or plum blossoms would be worn in winter.)

The cherry blossom or sakura, frequently depicted in Japanese Art and on Japanese goods, is perhaps one of the best known symbols of Japan. The significance of the beautiful but fragile cherry blossom goes back hundreds of years, with the cherry blossom season an annual visual reminder of a major theme in Buddhism that life is beautiful but only transient.

Hanami, which translates as "flower viewing", is a significant part of the Japanese calendar. Although originally referring to the viewing of plum (ume) - which blooms slightly earlier than cherry - hanami now commonly refers to mainly cherry blossom viewing. During the cherry blossom season many Japanese people take picnics and drink sake under the blooming cherry blossom trees.

Click here to view some of our products that feature Cherry Blossom.

Some Popular Kimono Motifs Part 2: The Japanese Crane

The crane or tsuru is a very popular image in Oriental Art and kimono design and is also a favourite subject for origami, the Japanese art of paper folding. Fabled to have a life span of a thousand years, the crane is regarded as a symbol of good fortune and longevity. Mating cranes or a pair of cranes also represent fidelity.

Origami Crane Earring

The origami crane (orizuru) is perhaps best known nowadays as a symbol of international peace. Its status as a symbol of peace derives from the story of  Sadako Sasaki, a Japanese school girl living in Hiroshima, who was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after the end of World War II. Inspired by a Japanese legend, which promises anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish, Sadaki set out to fold 1000 cranes in the hope of gaining  health, happiness and world peace.




We have several products featuring cranes including kimono gowns, greetings cards and furoshiki wrapping cloths.  In addition, you may like to try your hand at making an origami crane with some of our beautiful origami papers.