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Kim Kardashian West angers Japan over 'kimono'

Cultural Appropriation - Level 4

Kim Kardashian West angered Japan with her new lingerie brand called 'Kimono Intimates'. People are accusing her of cultural appropriation. They say the lingerie disrespects Japanese culture. The kimono is an iconic symbol in Japan. It is worn on special occasions, like weddings and graduations. A Japanese woman explained to the BBC: "It's...passed on in families through the generations." People say it is Japan's national dress.

There is a backlash against Kardashian on social media. The lingerie has no resemblance to kimonos. Kardashian is trying to trademark kimono-worded brands, like "Kimono Body" and "Kimono World". A Twitter user wrote: "What a disgusting thing to use the word 'kimono'. It's disrespectful to Japanese culture. True cultural appropriation." Another person tweeted: "I feel this name choice is simply ignorant."

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Cultural Appropriation - Level 5

Kim Kardashian West has angered Japan after starting a new lingerie brand called 'Kimono Intimates'. People have accused Kardashian of cultural appropriation. They say the lingerie disrespects Japanese culture. The kimono is an iconic symbol in Japan. It is a beautifully decorated, long-sleeved robe, usually made of silk. It is worn on special occasions. People say it is Japan's national dress. A Japanese woman explained to the BBC: "We wear kimonos to celebrate the growth of children, marriages, graduations....It's...passed on in families through the generations."

There is a lot of backlash against Kardashian on social media. The lingerie has no resemblance to kimonos or anything Japanese. The American socialite is trying to trademark other kimono-worded brands, such as "Kimono Body" and "Kimono World". A Twitter user wrote: "What a disgusting thing to use the word 'kimono'. It's disrespectful to Japanese culture. True cultural appropriation." Another person tweeted: "I feel very sad that the name 'Kimono' is being used for something completely different from what we Japanese know about it. I feel this name choice is simply ignorant."

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Cultural Appropriation - Level 6

Kim Kardashian West has angered people in Japan after launching a new line of lingerie called 'Kimono Intimates'. People in Japan have reacted with anger and have accused Kardashian of cultural appropriation. They say the lingerie greatly disrespects Japanese culture. The kimono is an iconic symbol in Japan and is considered the country's national dress. It is an exquisitely decorated, long-sleeved robe tied with an ornate sash. It is usually made of silk and is worn on special occasions. A Japanese woman explained to the BBC: "We wear kimonos to celebrate health, growth of children, engagements, marriages, graduations, at funerals. It's celebratory wear and passed on in families through the generations."

There has been a lot of backlash against Kardashian West on social media. Apart from the lingerie having no resemblance to real kimono or anything Japanese, the American socialite is also trying to trademark kimono-worded brands. She has filed trademarks for "Kimono Body", "Kimono Intimates" and "Kimono World". One Twitter user wrote: "What a disgusting thing to use the word 'kimono'. It's disrespectful to Japanese culture. True cultural appropriation." Another person tweeted: "I feel very sad that the name 'Kimono' is being used for something completely different from what we Japanese know about it. I feel this name choice is simply ignorant." She ended her tweet with #KimOhNo.

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