I first put on a yukata at the Japanese Association Singapore’s Natsu Matsuri a few years ago. We lined up to rent the yukata and were dressed by their friendly volunteers. The weather was completely inappropriate for wearing double layers of innerwear and the yukata jacket, and we were sweating while doing don obori dances on the school field.
Despite the challenging weather conditions, I had so much fun wearing it that I decided to get my own yukata on a trip to Japan. My goal was to get an affordable, nice set that I can wear for events and future matsuris, but it had to be of decent quality. I recall visiting the Oktoberfest in Munich during exchange and considering trying on a dirndl, but the pieces sold around the festival were so cheap-looking with satin fabric that I did not get one.
My first point of consultation was of course my good friend who already owned a yukata. For those brave enough and armed with sufficient Chinese language skills (or a translation app), Taobao.com presents a wide selection. Those with reviews should generally be a safe choice, but I wanted to wear mine in Japan, so Taobao.com was ruled out for the time being.
Other places were found for consideration after a quick Google search. One top candidate was the trustworthy Uniqlo, which carried some reasonably priced yukatas in their accessible stores, but I felt that their prints were too plain and no frills for me. I also visited some department stores in the Ginza area, but they were way out of my budget, for the good quality cloth can run up to hundreds of dollars. I also browsed through some displays at the Odaiba shopping malls, but many of the yukata designs looked like curtains or bedsheets.
Shimamura (Kyobashi outlet in Osaka)
I saw the name Shimamura mentioned on a couple of forums, and decided to check it out. Shimamura is a casual wear retailer, but they tend to be located in more suburban or “ulu” areas. The Kyobasi outlet is some distance away from the main shopping streets of Osaka, so we passed by alleyways with tiny eateries full of locals and quiet residential blocks.
On the first storey, there is a Aeon supermarket, and taking the escalators up to the second floor, I was ecstatic to finally find exactly the type of range that I was looking for: affordable and yet quality yukata sets. All of the sets are pre-packed, mostly with a pre-tied obi belt and matching sandals. There is a picture showing how the yukata would look unfolded, so it was still easy to get an idea of how it would look, since yukata is a one size fits all affair.
There is still a price range depending on the fanciness of the print. For example, this most basic set of a classic, dark blue floral print with a gorgeous ombre obi was one of my top choices, for only 3,800 yen. So if all you need is really just a basic yukata, it is really not very expensive for the full set.
I was also psyched to find this adorable and special Hello Kitty yukata set, with a fuchsia bow. Surprisingly, the feedback that I got when showing the photo to my friends were that it was not kiddy and actually looks quite nice, since it was a dark blue print and the kitties are incorporated rather subtly into the flowers. However, since it was a Hello Kitty print, the price was raised to 5,800 yen even though it had the same offerings as the other plain yukata.
Finally, here is the yukata set that I finally chose – one of the 5,800 yen sets, with red flowers on a cream background. I decided to get a more light colored yukata, and also partly because I wanted a light yukata that would show up better when we visited Fushimi Inari shrine. I thought that the darker coloured yukatas look more classy, but I had one shot to make some nice pictures at the shrine and light colours definitely popped more on the pictures that I saw online.
The set is more pricey due to the more elaborate print, and also a bead accessory to tie around the obi belt. 
Debuting the Yukata
After finally purchasing the yukata set, my next challenge was how to put it on for our trip to the Fushimi Inari shrine. By watching online tutorial videos, and especially a helpful one from Uniqlo, I managed to get better at putting together the yukata. Although it is a deceptively simple-looking garment, there is skill involved in wearing it so that the length and shape sits right and doesn’t fall apart like any bathrobe! There are two strings that are used to tie the yukata firmly before the obi belt is placed.
One new fact that I learnt from professional yukata shops that I visited is that the silhouette of the yukata is supposed to be straight. I originally thought that it needed to be cinched in at the waist by the obi belt. I was happy that the obi came pre-tied, and just needed to be clipped on. This was the part that I was most anxious about pre-trip, and I even tried to have a crash course learning on how to tie a traditional obi from a strip of cloth from my friend, but honestly a pre-fabricated one is not the worse thing in the world.
We were up at the crack of dawn and took one of the earliest trains down to Fushimi to capture the beautiful tori gates with such completely empty walkways. I put the yukata over a loose t-shirt and shorts so that I could quickly change of it after the visit. Unfortunately, the wooden clogs are way too small for me and combined with my swollen foot, I had to make do with wearing my flip-flops instead. It was my first time wearing the yukata out and overall I was happy that it went well – some of the shrine visitors even asked to take pictures with me. 
If the Yukata Works, Work it Hard
My yukata set was quite affordable, but even so, it cost around SGD 60. So since I bought it, I’ve been able to wear it to quite a few occasions. After buying something like this, it may end up sitting in the closet since being forgotten, but I’ve made the effort to bring it out whenever the opportunity to do so arises, lowering my cost per wear to a break even point.
The first event that I definitely brought my yukata to is the annual Japanese Association Singapore’s summer matsuri that started it all. This year, it was a specially large event held at the National Stadium to celebrate 50 years of Japan-Singapore relations, so I was able to keep cool in the partially air-conditioned covered stadium. Even so, I had a few tricks, such as bringing along an electric fan and wearing a thin innerwear in order to stay as cool as possible and to be able to change out quickly.
For the rental fee and deposit, it cost SGD 50, so it was definitely more peace of mind that I can wear my own without queueing and worrying about returning it in good condition. I’ve also gotten a lot faster at putting it together, and its definitely not as textbook perfect as the professional dressers (I use only 1 string to tie) but it passed as festival wear. It was fun to dress up in yukatas with all of my friends and I would definitely go again next year.
The other exceptionally fond memory I have is wearing yukata together with the percussionists to perform Senbonzakura at our alumni day festival. It was an effort to coordinate and find enough yukata, but I’m grateful that everyone was game enough to put on the yukata for the performance. 
I also brought my own yukata to visit the Gardens by the Bay sakura display. If I couldn’t visit the sakura in Japan, visiting the ones that the gardens flown in was not too shabby either. Best of all, this was in a completely air-conditioned dome, so it was very comfortable to walk around in.
In the future, the only change that I may make to my yukata set is perhaps getting an authentic cloth obi belt and learning how to make the bow perfectly like my good friend here. Since then, I’ve also learnt of the existence of the giant Japanese discount retailer, Don Quixote or Don Don Donki in Singapore, which also sells similar yukata sets but their selection in Singapore seems to be pretty limited and pricey. So for now, my yukata is here to stay and I can’t wait to wear it to many more future matsuri. 
worldstreetjournal 
2 Comments Add yours