京都嵐山着物項To the Western male, the nape of the neck does not rank high on the potential delights of the female body.
To Japanese men, it is a highly erotic area.
This is perhaps due to the fact that in the past it was one of very few parts of the body left uncovered.
Geisha continue to exploit this fascination, wearing the collar of their kimono low to expose the nape, which is painted in dramatic fashion in white.
The nape moreover has been depicted in many works of art. "Shaving the Nape of the Neck" is a well known work by painter Utamaro. In the manga series "Kimi no Unaji ni Kanpai!" ("Cheers for the Nape of your Neck!") the main character instantly falls in love when he spies a woman's nape (and only with the nape, not with the woman!). In Yukio Mishima's novel Forbidden Colours, the nape of young man is noted by the (gay) author.
The woman pictured here was at a ceremony in Arashiyama to celebrate her daughter's twelfth birthday.
© CycleKyoto.com
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Nape of Neck
