In this kimono, Kubota employed a stitch-resist technique to outline the individual trees of the evergreen forest that climbs Fuji’s slopes to the snow line. The gold wefts of the base fabric glow steadily through the heavy green and blue dyes of the trees, giving a sense of vibrancy to the dark forest. The mottled clouds that peer over Fuji’s shoulder and cluster at the base of the mountain create a menacing atmosphere that is somewhat ameliorated by the tie-dyed and paint-touched pinpoints of light that seem to flit like fireflies through the massing clouds. Rasta Thomas, the American ballet dancer, chose to wear Ohn/ Covered in Menacing Clouds for his 2001 Itchiku Noh performance dedicated to Itchiku Kubota.