Demand and supply in action – The Dying Art of the Kimono

Sadly the ancient Japanese profession of Kimono making is on the brink of extinction as the few who still know how to make them are very old and could die out without passing on their knowledge.

According to this Telegraph article, “There are more than 1,000 processes involved in one kimono, each carried out by different specialist craftsmen. It can take 40 years to master a single technique.”

There are also demand-side factors that need to be considered to understand the kimono´s decline. “Kimonos have gone out of fashion” as Japanese become more interested in Western clothing and culture and a declining birthrate “has meant fewer sales of kimonos for children’s coming-of-age rites” (Washington Post). Pupils could illustrate what´s happening to the kimono market using a demand and supply diagram.