Yukata : The traditional Japanese clothing

Yukata or traditional Japanese bathing clothes are also used as pajamas or lounge wear. Indeed, it is a type of kimono light, casual and very comfortable whose material is generally cotton. The ryokan and minshuku provide you with yukata during your stay. You can wear them in all contexts such as during meals, while you relax, before or after your bath. In onsen (thermal baths) or urban spa centers, people even wear their yukata when walking.

There are two important criteria when you wear a yukata.

The yukata must cover you discreetly

The reason why your yukata should fit you and cover you completely is twofold. The first one is to make you comfortable without being too conspicuous. The second is not to disturb the other hotel guests.

The yukata must be worn correctly

In addition, you must wear your kimono or yukata correctly or it may shock you. The rule is to fold the right side over the left side of the yukata. Wearing it otherwise would be like dressing for a funeral.

Steps to wear your yukata ?

• Put on your yukata like a normal jacket. Wearing underwear can be done but is not necessary.
• Fold the right side, fold it flat on your chest to the left side. Then fold the left side over your chest over the right side and try to hold them in place.
• Then put the obi belt around your waist; make two turns.
• Fasten the belt in front of you. It's often difficult to do it yourself so here's my advice: as long as you can roll it up, it doesn't matter how you do it. Assistance is sometimes necessary. Of course, there is certainly a correct way, but it only really counts if you wear a kimono, not a yukata.
• Finally, move the belt to the right place. For example, for women, the obi is placed above the hips with the knot on one of the hips. For men, it should be low enough on the hips with the knot placed in the middle of the back.

When you go to a ryokan and minshuku, there are a lot of rules that you should follow as a visitor. If you have visited Japan before or done research on the country, you will see that it is the same everywhere in Japan.