Japan Styling with ‘Yukata’ in Summer
Story and Photos by Tetsuo Nakahara


Visitors at the 2009 Bon Odori Festival dance on Camp Zama’s Rambler Field while wearing a yukata, a lighter version of the kimono that is worn during the summer.


There are various combinations of obi and yukata.


Japanese teenagers wear yukatas.



Misako Okamoto, a kimono fitting instructor with the All-Japan Kimono Consultant Association, has instructed people on how to wear yukatas for more than 10 years at Camp Zama for the annual Bon Odori Festival.

Fireworks, Bon dancing and traditional ceremonies: summer is the festival season in Japan during which all ages can enjoy the warm weather and fun atmosphere. And the yukata is the perfect outfit for such events. Because they see it as a hallmark of culture in Japan, Japanese people are fond of wearing yukatas during this festival season.

The yukata is a summer kimono worn by both men and women. The name “yukata” comes from the words “yu” (bath) and “katabira” (under clothing). Today, the traditional Japanese yukata is widely used for everything from festivals, ryokan, or even daily summer wear and nighttime attire. In contrast to the kimono, which is more suited for formal occasions, the yukata was originally designed to be worn in summer after bathing as a cool and comfortable alternative.

Yukatas are becoming more popular, as retailers have begun offering an increasingly wide selection, ranging from traditional designs to more contemporary ones featuring frilly accessories and other such embellishments. Reasonably priced yukata sets, which include an obi (sash) and a pair of geta (wooden clogs), are now widely available, making these traditional garments more accessible to young people as well.

Every year, many Camp Zama Community members wear yukatas and dance at the installation’s annual Bon Odori Festival.

“I’m glad that Americans really like traditional Japanese yukatas and kimono,” said Misako Okamoto, a kimono fitting instructor with the All-Japan Kimono Consultant Association. “When I see an entire American family wearing yukatas at the Bon Odori Festival and enjoying Japan, I feel so happy.”

Okamoto has been helping Camp Zama members for more than 10 years, teaching them the proper way to wear kimonos and yukatas. She has also traveled to more than 100 countries as an ambassador of kimono instructors.

“I had an opportunity to make international friendships through [teaching about] kimonos,” said Okamoto. “Every time I go to Camp Zama, people are very welcoming to me and interested in kimonos.”

It is not only women who enjoy wearing the yukata; the number of men who don the outfit every summer has also steadily increased.

Reflecting the recent demand for yukatas, mass retailers are selling sets that include an obi and geta at prices as low as $40 to $70, and these deals have even attracted customers with no experience in wearing traditional clothing. At the other end of the price spectrum, high-end department stores sell exquisitely crafted yukata made from the finest materials for about $700 to $1,000.

“Yukatas can fit anyone if you know the proper way to fit them,” said Okamoto. “I recommend Camp Zama members staying in Japan to wear a yukata at least once.”