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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Japan official to Kardashian West: Kimono belongs to Japan
By HARUKA NUGA TOKYO©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
54 Comments
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Bugle Boy of Company B
Uh... she already said she's going to stop plans to use KIMONO. What's the fuss?
HOstess_in_tokyo
She has already said she isn't going to use the name. Why is this article still bring up something that's already over?
HBJ
She should just ditch Kanye and marry a Japanese guy with the surname 'Ono'.
That way she'd have no problems selling her new clothing range under her own name - Kim Ono.
sensei258
Never mind all of that. WTH is she so freaking important to everyone? Does all her plastic surgery give her license to be so important? I really don't understand why she's even a celebrity.
Gaijinjland
You know the world has gone to s**t when the Japanese government is sending officials to the US because of Kim Kardashian. Why has the world gotten so sensitive?
macv
Dear Kim, I suggest you name your brand of lingerie Kyoto. I am writing to The Vatican to complain about sacrilegious fake Christian weddings, fake ministers created by the Japanese an affront to Christianity. Am writing to fellow Yankees how the Japanese have massacred our name into YANKII to refer to Japanese thugs and the lovely innocent word 'girl' which Japanese have turned into GYARU, it's a disgrace. And all the Japanese owned operated sex clubs with names such as Roman Holiday, Milano, Gay Paris, you can see them all over Soi Thaniya in Bangkok and other major cities globally. Prostitution btw is illegal in Thailand but Japanese blatantly flaunt the law showing no respect. Los Angeles means City of Angeles but Japanese call it ROSU, most disrespectful.
simon g
Kimonno, problem solved.
Strangerland
Say what? I think most Japanese people recognize it comes from China by virtue of the fact that the first character of the word kanji refers directly to China (漢).
That's why Japanese people translate the word 'kanji' to English as 'Chinese characters' and not 'Japanese characters'.
Strangerland
Authenticity, not quality.
Henry Hunter
Registered trademark more than 30 years ago.Maybe people made a fuss about it at the time.
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extanker
Ah, I guess I get it. You're saying that somehow Kim Kardashian trademarking the word Kimono hurts Japanese national pride. You know, I always thought the Japanese were a lot tougher than that.
Gobshite
Crying over nothing..... where is the outcry....
fraris
What is he waiting for to claim back the four seasons as well? They naturally belong only to Japan...!!
Fumiko Roberts
Just change it to Kymono, Kim.
Peeping_Tom
"The Chinese wore kimonos centuries before Japan. FACT."
Did the Chinese call them Kimono?
Another one talking out of....
Chip Star
Trademarking and copyrighting are two different things. That said, your information is mostly correct about the effects of trademarking.
GW
The picture at top is downright scary!!!
jeancolmar
Japan's trade minister, Hiroshige Seko: Mind your own business. Keep your chauvinism to yourself. You have no authority to dictate fashion either in the United States or, for that matter, in Japan.
Anyway, the Kimono has been a part of Western culture for nearly two centuries, just as Western dress has been a staple in Japan since the Meiji Era. Before Western clothing took hold in Japan "kimono" meant simply something to wear.
Let me say something about cultural appropriate in Japan. Instead of comfortable traditional Japanese clothing businesses force men to wear uncomfortable suits and useless ties and force women to wear uncomfortable and dangerous Western high heel shoes.
And the world wears blue jeans, originally an American product. Japan makes blue jeans, but no one cares whether it is cultural appropriation on not.
Derek Grebe
I'm pretty sure there are more important things for people to get their knickers in a twist about.
What a distraction.
Joe Blow
Didn't the gov't used to send sushi chefs abroad to judge overseas' restaurants' sushi quality?
Jonorth
Honestly, whatever. It's already common to call a range of silky robes 'kimono'. Is Japan gonna challenge every clothes-maker now?
Kobe White Bar Owner
belonging to Japan. cry kidies cry.
extanker
Why is this still in the news??? This is the third story in as many days!
So what? As I've explained before, a lot of you don't seem to understand how copyrighting a brand name works. If she copyrighted the name Kimono as the brand name of her line of underwear, then no one else could sell underwear under the brand name 'Kimono'.
She wasn't going to own the word, she would have owned the brand name 'Kimono' only as it related to her underwear line. It's not like you could never call anything a kimono ever again. It's just not how copyrights work!
Here, have a read:
https://lisamerriam.com/shared-brand-names-for-different-products/
Everyone is freaking out over nothing.
since1981
Answer: To keep peoples minds away from the elections
extanker
I admit I am the one who screwed up and mixed up the two words. It was just me not paying attention. I've had to deal with trademarking quite a bit on the job. Brain fart.
But it still doesn't explain why you made an issue about her trying to trademark it, if you are only worried that it is an issue of 'national pride'.
CEOB55
What about sushi clothing:
https://www.etsy.com/market/sushi_clothing
Oy vey!
Joe Yan
The question should be, is the word Kimono even allowed to be trademarked? I think this is over blown. Just because someone trademarks the word Kimono doesn't mean no one else can use the word.
Jimi
and Kanji belongs to China...but many Japanese seem to think they invented it.. wtf?
WilliB
Why? I don´t care about this designer person or her products, but why does she cave to this stupid complaint?
Kaerimashita
Hmmmmm.... Must object when colleagues use the term "Open the kimono"........
macv
City of Angels that is...
jiji Xx
nice little junket for somebody!
jiji Xx
only a day late Seko-san!
quercetum
What if my business is selling kimonos?
I think Ill name my next pet Kimono.
Jamc
Intelligence has prevailed
(can't believe I'm writing this, speaking about that a$$ on legs...)
smithinjapan
"Japan's trade minister, Hiroshige Seko, said Tuesday that the kimono is globally known as belonging to Japan, and urged U.S. trademark officials to examine the case appropriately."
I'm willing to bet he said so in a pair of pants, and even underpants. If he wants to say this seriously, put on the hakama and sport the chonmage, and don't say it with a cell phone, created in the USA. What an idiot.
presto345
Did you mean Kimohno? At least her not so original idea of fusing her name with ono or ohno got her a lot of attention. She'll be pleased with that.
Peeping_Tom
"belonging to Japan. cry kidies cry."
Another "expert" having comprehension problems!
She's trying to trademark "KIMONO".
"Seko said he will dispatch senior officials to Washington next week for talks with U.S. trademark officials."
Kimono is Japanese, whether JT "experts" like it or not.
extanker
@chip star
Thanks for correcting me, you are absolutely right. Everyone keeps saying copyrighting instead of trademarking, which is actually what Kardashian is trying to do, and I didn't catch it myself.
@Peeping_Tom
Then why did you say this, which is the comment I was addressing:
extanker
@chip star
You know, looking back at my other comments, I think I just made a giant brain fart and I'm the one who made the copyright/trademark mistake! Haha oops!
Tangerine2000
Peeping_Tom = "expert "
Aly Rustom
seriously?? They make donald trump look like he has thick skin.
Jalapeno
Yeah, I remember the sushi thing. And you know, whatever. What is the standard of quality in Japan does not have to be the standard in other countries. If they enjoy their version of sushi, woohoo! In fact, I would say going to a sushi place is a far more fun experience than going to one of those Sushi Jiro joints, where you have to be so prim and proper. What did Ferris Bueller say about sticking a coal up Cameron's hole and winding up with a diamond?
Jalapeno
She has as much talent as any other "celebrity" who made their fortune off of "talent". I rank her right up there with Melanie Griffith.
She's also proven to be a very, very shrewd business person that has built an empire.
As for the "kimono", the word is not Japanese property. I actually think if she is the first to copyright it for her brand, then it's her right.
I actually think it was a clever use of the word, and if anything, it brought more publicity to her brand. Regardless, she wins. To all of those complaining, she played you well.
ZENJI
JAPAN: WON
DA SLAPPER: ZERO
Vince Black
The Chinese wore kimonos centuries before Japan. FACT.
When will this little back and forth between idiots stop. Have a cry Japan
Ganbare Japan!
@ Peeping Tom - well argued. Nice to see a voice of reason on here. Kardashian hurt Japanese peoples feelings by stealing an important part of the heritage, their KIMONO. Good for Japan they lobbied and forced her to back down.
Black Sabbath
Does Japan really want to play that game....?
LB315
Thank West for what?? She's absolutely disrespectful.
Peeping_Tom
"She's trying to trademark "KIMONO".
Because most people don't know the difference; actually for Americans trademark is more familiar; that's the reason.
Peeping_Tom
"It's just not how copyrights work!"
I think you're talking to the wrong person; I know how it works.
This is a national pride issue; what about a Chinese copyrighting Worcestershire pepper sauce?
For you to read as well; see if there's any parallels.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/1758188.stm
Peeping_Tom
"Trademarking and copyrighting are two different things. That said, your information is mostly correct about the effects of trademarking."
Thanks; I did not want to get into this debate, given he should know better.