Áo dài her bust and curves. Although the dress covers the entire body, it is thought to be provocative, especially when it is made of thin fabric. "The ao dai covers everything, but hides nothing", according to one saying. The dress must be individually fitted and usually requires several weeks for a tailor to complete. An ao dai costs about $200 in the United States and about $40 in Vietnam. "Symbolically, the ao dai invokes nostalgia and timelessness associated with a gendered image of the homeland for which many Vietnamese people throughout the diaspora yearn," wrote Nhi T. Lieu, an assistant professor
Dai Gohonzon a tourist sightseeing event, but rather the ultimate fusion of a believer and his or her own Enlightenment. Every year on April 6 or 7 at the "O-Mushibarai" ceremony, the High Priest of Nichiren Shoshu takes on the formal task of cleaning the accumulated dust on the surface of the Dai-Gohonzon. Sometime in the 1970s, the "Ushitora Gongyo" was performed around 12:00PM midnight at the request of Soka Gakkai, which was then restored to its traditional 2:30AM time slot by High Priest Nikken Shonin in 1992. Customarily, believers optionally dress in black formal garments in honor of the Dai-Gohonzon's audience,