Wearing Yukata Is Fun!

Yukata is a casual summer kimono, usually made of cotton. The word yukata comes from the word ‘yu’ (bath) and ‘katabira’ (under clothing). In the Heian era (794-1185), court nobles wore linen yukata which were draped loosely after taking a bath. It was widely worn when public baths became popular in Japan during the Edo period (1600-1868).

Yukata is also widely worn in ‘ryokan’ (traditional Japanese inn) and when checking-in to such hotels, I wore the yukata everywhere, even going out sightseeing in the nearby area.

Yukata is often worn with wooden sandals called geta which is a form of traditional Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops. But you don't wear the tabi (traditional socks) when you put on a yukata.

Wearing a yukata, the left side of the yukata is wrapped over the right side, and secured with an obi when one is attending festivals or some nice functions but for casual or night wear, a wide belt wrapped around the waist would suffice.

A note of advice though. If you wear a yukata, it might not be advisable to sit cross legged otherwise your legs (not to mention certain parts that should be left unseen) can be exposed for all to see!