Priest Robes

Formal Zen priest robes derive from the Buddhist monastic garments of medieval China, which were deeply embedded in the styles and cultural sensibilities of the era. Transmitted to Japan with traveling monastics, the formal outer robe (koromo, below) appears to have changed remarkably little over the thousand-plus years of its existence. As Zen faced the challenges of modernity, various Japanese simplifications of the billowing sleeves and extensively pleated skirts have given rise to a range of more practical outer priest robes, including kairyoe for travel and nagasamue for work.