A sense of style and pride
UNIVERSITIES in Japan are going traditional this month by encouraging students to wear the yukata, a simpler form of the kimono worn in summer.
For a start, students together with lecturers and varsity staff from institutions in the Tokyo area, joined the students by choosing a day this month to dress up in the elegant costume.
The objective is to get as many young people as possible to wear the yukata that relates to Japanese pride, culture and identity.
In Kokugakuin University, Waso Day (traditional Japanese garment day) was held on July 7 at its Shibuya campus, to help students experience and soak in Japanese culture.
There was a free workshop where tips were given on how to wear a yukata by professional kimono instructors.
Students came prepared with their yukata, matching accessories and even matching footwear while the instructors were on hand at the varsity’s changing room, to help students put on the kimono before they stepped out into the campus.
The yukata was initially referred to as a kimono made of a single layer of cloth that was worn after a bath or for sleeping during the hot and humid summers in Japan.
During the Edo period (16031867), bathing in sento public bathhouses was a common practice not just among the elite but among ordinary people too.
The yukata became popular as a fashionable summer attire during the period. Many people often slipped into the cool and comfortable yukata, after a refreshing bath.
University authorities were also keen for students to heighten their appreciation of Japanese arts and culture – an aspect that was given prominence during the Edo period. People were able to indulge in the finer things in life as the era was characterised by steady economic growth and progress. Meanwhile Kyoritsu Women’s University also held its Yukata Day at its KandaHitotsu bashi campus in Tokyo.
Initiated by the Kimono Kitsuke Club, a student organisation that promotes the kimono, its members helped the varsity’s students wear the yukata.
The event on July 5, featured the first fashion show in which students from the Department of Textile and Clothing in the Faculty of Home Economics showcased the yukata that came in different colours and motifs that they had designed themselves.
Sophia University’s Yukata Day was held at its Yotsuya campus in Tokyo. Held for the third time since its inception in 2013, this year’s event coincided with the university’s centennial celebrations.
Wearing the yukata made her feel special ,said an undergraduate from Kyoritsu Women’s University.
“I felt comfortable in the kimono. Unfortunately the event was only for a day, it would have been nice if it had continued for a week as I would have been able to wear the costume more often,” she added. – Asia News Network