August

Now that festivals are back on the menu again, you may find yourself at one. Or perhaps, while taking in one of the restarted firework festivals, you may have noticed many people wearing traditional Japanese dress and wondered what was going on. Well, summer festivals are a time when Japanese and foreigners alike can wear yukata, an informal summer variant of the famous kimono. What is Yukata? The word ‘yukata’ means ‘after bathing’, as they are the clothing that is often worn after onsen or sento in traditional Japanese ‘ryokan’ hotels. However, in the hot summer months, these unlined kimonos are worn by men, women, and children particularly when celebrating hanabi. Yukata are usually made of either cotton or synthetic fabric, being cooler than the silk of traditional kimonos, and are made up of three main aspects: a ‘juban’ cotton undergarment, the yukata itself, and an ‘obi’ belt that ties it together. On the feet wooden sandals called ‘geta’ are worn and to carry personal goods including cell phones, both men and women carry small bags called ‘kinchaku’. Traditional: Chikusen Having been around since the Edo era, Chikusen is the oldest yukata and kimono provider in Tokyo. Famed for their unique dying patterns that…