My Persona: The Me Who Just Started Wearing Casual Kimono
I've worn formal kimono before, but how do I put together a casual kimono outfit?
How do seasonal changes affect the choice of kimono items?
What are the tips for increasing the frequency of wearing casual kimono?
When I first got into casual kimono, these were the questions I had.
I gathered information from Instagram and the internet, asked people with more knowledge, and did my best to learn by trial and error.
I started wearing casual kimono, imitating what I saw while gradually expanding my understanding.
As my world of casual kimono grew, I encountered new people and gained new knowledge, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
Eventually, I started sharing my thoughts on casual kimono through Note and Instagram.
As I continued sharing, I found myself dreaming of something new.
That dream is: "I want to make writing about kimono my job."
Who is Casual Kimono / Sai?
Some of you might wonder, "Who am I, anyway?" So here’s a brief introduction.
My main job is in rehabilitation therapy. I have two elementary school-aged children and work part-time at a hospital five days a week.
I first stepped into the world of casual kimono after discovering Satomi Amano (@chansato3) on Instagram.
Learning about kimono, discovering new things through wearing them, and experiencing their charm firsthand was so exciting that I started posting on Note as a kind of personal journal.
Eventually, I began to think, "I want to work in something related to kimono," and that’s when I combined it with something I love—writing—and a new dream was born.
In between household chores and childcare, I dedicate time at home to writing one article per week.
My Goals
Without fear of embarrassment, I’ll write down my current goals here:
Make writing about kimono my profession
Write a series for a kimono magazine
Reach 3,000 monthly readers on Note and Instagram
Get paid to write articles about kimono and travel
These are pretty ambitious goals.
But at the same time, they’re goals I seriously want to achieve.
Where I Stand Now
Here’s what I’ve done and achieved so far:
Maintained a pace of four Note articles per month for six months (two months since switching to all-free articles)
Published over 50 articles on Note (including paid ones)
Posted daily on my Instagram feed for two months
Posted around 130 times on Instagram in total
Monthly reach: around 500 on both Note and Instagram
I haven’t yet achieved my dream of making writing my job, and my reach is only about 1/6 of my goal.
I even tried pitching to a publisher, but I haven’t received any response yet.
I know I still have a long way to go, and based on my limited knowledge, here’s what I think I’m lacking:
Recognition of “Casual Kimono / Sai”
More compelling writing skills
Marketing techniques to promote myself
Coming from a completely different field—rehabilitation therapy—I don’t really know the best way to move forward.
If you have insights or knowledge, please share your advice!
Moving Forward: What I’ll Continue & What I’ll Start
I may still be searching for the right path, but the only way to achieve my dream is to keep moving forward.
I believe in consistent, steady efforts, and luckily, I don’t mind putting in the quiet, persistent work.
If I keep going and never give up, I believe doors will open.
I’ll keep telling myself, "I will make writing about kimono my job!" and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to turn this dream into reality. No—I will make it a reality.
What I’ll continue:
Publishing four Note articles per month
Posting daily on Instagram
What I’ll start doing:
Create a proposal to pitch to publishers
Take a writing seminar to improve my skills
Analyze what the casual kimono community needs and how I can contribute
My Persona: The Me Who Just Started Wearing Casual Kimono
"I want to start wearing casual kimono, but I don’t know where to begin."
I want to write articles that help people like that—better yet, articles that make them fall in love with casual kimono.
I aim to share the very information, ideas, and ways to enjoy kimono that I once wished for when I first started.
My target reader is none other than the me from the past, when I was just starting with casual kimono.
If someone thinks, "Maybe I can find answers in Casual Kimono / Sai’s articles," nothing would make me happier.
I still have a long way to go before reaching my goals, but if I don’t continue, nothing will change.
The only thing I can do now is to keep moving forward, every single day.
I’ll keep exploring different paths while staying consistent in my efforts.
Let’s see where this journey takes me!