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TOKYO : Summer is the time for many fireworks events in Japan, and for these occasions many people dress in the traditional wear. However, it is not the multi-layered kimono, but a more casual one called the yukata.
Originally, the yukata was used as a bathrobe or a pajama. It still is in traditional inns and hotels, but more and more, women are wearing it outdoors in the day.
But there are still many Japanese women who do not know how to put on the yukata themselves.
Now there's help.
If you have purchased a yukata at the Mitsukoshi Department store, you can bring your yukata whenever there are fireworks festivals, and a store personnel will help you put it on.
Many shops offer such a service, but it is often a one-time thing. So for those who wish to wear the yukata often, it would be better to go for a quick lesson.
Kimono schools offer speed learning classes. And it's not just for the young. There is a growing number of those in their 30s and above attending classes.
"I'm practicing back home and am reviewing what I learned, so I think I'm doing a pretty good job," said one Japanese woman.
"They don't know parts of the kimono, the accessories used in the kimono... They don't even know how they should be used and where," said Yoshie Jige, principle instructor at the Naganuma Shizue Kimono Gakuin Shinjuku School.
The school used to ask its students to bring their own yukata and small items including undergarments. But as many did not know what to bring, the school has in recent years decided to offer the whole set. - CNA /ls
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