The Mercury News ran a business article about the decline of the kimono manufacturing industry. Sales on Muromatchi Street, where the kimono dealers of Kyoto are located, are estimated to have fallen by almost $1 billion in the past five years. A mid-range kimono goes for $3,800 and involves the skilled crafts of weaving, dying, tailoring, and designing. Only those people involved in the traditional ceremonies and professions are still purchasing them. One can hope that the skills will be passed down to a few in the next generation before all the techniques are lost.