Berg Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion

Book excerpt: East Asia covers an area that is home to a quarter of the world's population. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the region, followed by separate sections on China, Korea, and Japan. The section on China covers the Han people, China's ethnic majority, as well as most of China's fifty-five minority groups. Festive dress, China's reputation for distinctive hairstyling, and a wide range of adornments linked to ancient beliefs and traditions are all covered. Overviews of Tibet, Mongolia, and Taiwan are included as well. Traditional and modern aspects of Korean dress are explored in depth, and the importance of the textile and garment industries is highlighted. Street and youth fashion, the history of the kimono, dress and masks for Noh and Kabuki performances, and the work of textile artists who are masters of traditional craft are all covered in the section on Japan. Historical backgrounds and accounts of ancient archaeological evidence are also provided. Accompanied by photographs supplying stunning pictorial evidence, East Asia offers a compelling overview of a land where age-old tradition coexists with bustling, technologically advanced modern states.