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“One after the other in the spot-lit room of the Comme Des Garçons headquarters in Tokyo, 24 silhouettes from the Noir by Kei Ninomiya SS21 collection emerged from the darkness. As each passage went by, we witnessed a deep exploration of textures that questioned the human body and the way we dress it. All were in either black or soft pink. Ninomiya stated that there was no theme to this collection, and that he chose the colour pink as nothing more than ‘a positive addition’.

Within Ninomiya’s cloud-like proposition came an exhilarating array of materials and structures. In many cases they created a distant resemblance to, or interpretation of, natural phenomenons from our world or perhaps even another. Some called to mind summer flowers: the brain-like cock’s comb, or a spider lily. Some seemed to evoke the protective structures of fruit mesh – beautifully crafted crochet that fully enveloped the model. Others, in their sparkling layers, conjured the many types of Japanese rain (there are more than 50 words for rain in the Japanese language).

One element that unified Ninomiya’s intricate assemblages were the evocative floral headpieces by Japanese flower artist Azuma Makoto.  His flowers and large bows entirely covered the models’ eyes, and most of their faces. They appeared to be sculpted from meadow flowers plucked straight from the ground. Their shapes reminded me of a man with a striking mohawk who sat directly across from me in that same room to watch the Comme Des Garçons show just a few hours earlier. Later, I realised that man was Ninomiya himself.”

Words by Arieh Rosen
Photography by Noam Levinger

Rain

雨  あめ  ame  rain

白雨  はくう  hakuu  rain shower

急雨  きゅう  kyuu  rain shower

俄雨  にわかあめ  niwakaame  rain shower

降雨  こう  kou  rainfall

Rain (by intensity)

弱雨  じゃくう  jakuu  weak rain

小雨  こさめ  kosame  light rain

小降り  こぶり  koburi  light rain

微雨  びう  biu  light rain

小糠雨  こぬかあめ  konukaame  fine rain

煙雨  えんう  enu  misty rain

細雨  さいう  saiu  drizzle

多雨  たう  tau  heavy rain

大雨  おおあめ  ooame  heavy rain

強雨  きょうう  kyouu  severe rain

横降り  よこぶり  yokoburi  driving rain

吹き降り  ふきぶり  fukiburi  driving rain

篠突く雨  しのつくあめ  shinotsukuame  intense rain

集中豪雨  しゅうちゅうごうう  shuuchuugouu  severe localized downpour

Rain (combinations)

風雨  ふう   fuu  wind and rain

雨氷  うひょう  uhyou  freezing rain

雨後雪  あめのちゆき  amenochiyuki  rain then snow

雪交じり  ゆきまじり  yukimajiri  snow and rain

雨混じりの雪  あめまじりのゆき   amemajirinoyuki  snow and rain

晴後雨  はれのちあめ  harenochiame  clear then rain

雨露  うろ  uro  rain and dew

Cold Rain

涼雨  りょうう  ryouu  cool rain

冷雨  れいう  reiu  chilly rain

寒雨  かんう  kanu  cold winter rain

氷雨  ひさめ  hisame  very cold rain or hail

Types of Rain

夜雨  やう  yau  night rain

梅雨前線  ばいうぜんせん  baiuzensen  seasonal rain

春霖  しゅんりん  shun rin  spring rain

春雨  しゅんう  shun u  gentle spring rain

緑雨  りょくう  ryokuu  early-summer rain

五月雨  さみだれ  samidare  early-summer rain

秋雨  あきさめ  akisame  autumn rain

秋霖  しゅうりん  shuu rin  autumn rain

凍雨  とうう  touu  winter rain

十雨  じゅうう  juuu  refreshing rain once in ten days

恵雨  けいう  keiu  welcome rain

人工雨  じんこうう  jinkouu  artificial rain

放射能雨  ほうしゃのうう  houshanouu  radioactive rain

天泣  てんきゅう  tenkyuu  rain from a cloudless sky

Time and Rain

雨模様  あまもよう  amamoyou  signs of rain

雨催い  あまもよい  amamoyoi  threat of rain

雨上り  あまあがり  amaagari  after the rain

雨後  うご  ugo  after rain

雨間  あまあい  amaai  break in the rain

晴一時小雨  はれいちじこさめ  hareichijikosame  brief light rain

霖  ながめ  nagame  long rain

霖雨  りんう  rinu  long rain

長雨   ながめ  nagame  long rain

陰霖   いんりん  inrin  long rain

夕立  ゆうだち  yuudachi  sudden evening rain