The Yukata is kimono's casual version, and are worn by men and women. Yukata are made with straight seams and wide sleeves, like other forms of traditional Japanese clothing. It's a robe, and usually, it is made of cotton or synthetic fabric, wrapped around the body and fastened with a sash (obi). Yukata's meaning is "bathing cloth", and it was originally intended to be just that. The garment is worn after bathing in a communal bath, functioning traditionally as a quick way to cover the body and to absorb remaining moisture. Compared to the longer 20 cm sleeve extension in women's yukata, Men's yukata are distinguished by the shorter sleeve extension of approximately 10 cm from the armpit seam. Both men and women used Kinchaku to carry cellphones and other small personal items. A cotton undergarment (juban), yukata, obi, bare feet, sandals (geta), a foldable or fixed hand fan, and a carry bag (kinchaku) has consisted of a standard yukata ensemble. The yukata is often worn in onsen towns, fittingly. The garment is the typical dress code for guests at a ryokan, in particular. It is a traditional way of relaxing at a Japanese Ryokan, and a type of light cotton kimono that all onsen ryokan have available to guests. Even among our international guests, Yukata are popular while experiencing Japanese culture on a deeper level they allow you to relax during your stay at a ryokan.

Yukata originally was only meant to be worn when going to the bath and when coming out. Generally, they are made from cotton but there are also yukata made from a blend of hemp and polyester. In Japan, these days, many people wear yukata as fashionable summer wear. Young and old people enjoy wearing yukata during the summer, from fireworks displays and summer festivals to traditional Obon dances and holidays. These are the comfortable cotton kimono decorated with stencil-dyed patterns usually in shades of indigo, worn by Japanese men and women. Originally, the yukata was designed as a nightgown and for wear in the home after a bath. To wear a yukata on the street on warm summer evenings it has become accepted practice. For lounging, Japanese inns and many hotels supply their guests with yukatas. It is possible to experience all-year-round the authenticity of wearing a yukata as a bathrobe while visiting the various onsens in town, in some hot spring areas. A multicolored print may wear by a child and a young woman may wear a floral print, while an older woman would confine herself to a traditional dark blue with geometric patterns.

In general, men may wear solid dark colors. For summer festivals, the yukata has also become a way of dressing recently. Fashionable designs have surfaced to a degree increasingly that it is sometimes difficult for the untrained eye to discern between a yukata and a kimono. For mature women, yukata tend to be less flashy. At hotels, the yukata is usually only intended as room wear and should not be worn outside the hotel room. Yukata are available for rent at kimono rental shops, in some tourist destinations. In Kyoto, Such shops are most numerous, where you can explore the city dressed in yukata for an authentic Japanese experience. At the above-mentioned shops or department stores, you can also purchase yukata. In popular tourist spots, some souvenir shops have cheap versions of yukata for sale, making them candidates for the typical souvenir from Japan. From a thousand yen simple ones to a couple of ten thousand yen, the price of a yukata ranges for the more exquisite.

There are some basic steps for putting yukata are as follows:

1.     Over your underwear (undershirt and socks are optional) Put on your yukata. At about waist level, Slip your arms into the sleeves of the yukata and grasp it along its front hem, one side in each hand. 

2.     With your hand while you get your obi (belt) now fold the left hand over the right-hand side and hold it in place.

3.     By wrapping it around your waist, secure everything in place with the obi (belt). Begin in the front and wrap it around your back. Usually, the obi is stored folded into little pentagons, so look for these if you are having trouble finding the obi.

4.     Around your back cross the belt and tie it in the front. The belt should rest fairly low on the hips, for men, and for women, the belt is tied at the waist.

5.     To hang evenly from your right hip adjust the length of the belt ends. After that just adjust the knot so that it lies on your right hip.

6.     The outer jacket can be worn over the yukata like a coat, in cooler weather. At chest level, Yukata coats have ties with which they can be secured, and may have a pocket for carrying small items such as your room key. Yukata coat sleeves are designed so that items can be carried inside, alternatively.