The Japanese accessorize in ways that no one else does. Find out about shoes made of rice straw or wood, umbrellas made of paper and oil, and handheld fans in the military. Then there's the figurative take on these items, including expressions about sheltering children, inciting people, padding numbers, and wearing two hats (but in Japan they're shoes!). The shapes of umbrellas, folding fans, and straw sandals have also sparked people's creativity; see what the Japanese perceive as having similar silhouettes!

Collars, hats, and sleeves can help you make bold fashion statements. These essays show how the Japanese have accomplished that with both traditional clothing and Western styles. Figurative takes on these four kanji astonish even more. Collars are associated with heart-to-heart talks. Hats help you say that you admire someone. The foot of a mountain is figuratively its hem. As such, 裾 can represent "extent of something" and "outskirts," even symbolizing the edge of a coral reef. And sleeves are connected with leaders, passivity, coldness to people, and destiny, plus the wings of buildings, stages, and desks.