Gaijin in a Yukata

So Gaijin is the Japanese word for foreigner. Sometimes it is an insult and sometimes it can be endearing. Anyway, Gaijin don't typically wear Yukata in Japan. Maybe at an anime convention in the US, but at a Matsuri (festival) not really. I didn't know this till after I purchased and was wearing my yukata at the Hanabi Matsuri (Fireworks Festival) at Asakusu when I received a lot of stares. But that's a later part of the story. I want to tell you now how to buy a Yukata.

Yukata's are everywhere. Seriously you can go into a Donki store and find some cheap ones. They are nice looking and if you just want to say you bought a Yukata in Japan that might do it for you. I however wanted something nice and beautiful. Something that I would probably give my daughter to wear when she went to Japan...it's not like these things really go out of style.

So I did look at the cheaper ones, they run about $60 or so. And they were nice but none of them really called to me. None of them made me want to spend my hard earned cash. So Kayo took me to a store in Shinjuku, a nice department store with a lovely Yukata store at the top level. As soon as I walked in I was in love. I wanted to buy the whole store. Seriously.
Then I saw it. The One. It was black with cherry blossom and butterflies. I don't think it could have been better even if it were designed for me. But then doubt started sinking in. I'm not a skinny Japanese girl. I'm not skinny by American standards either. I'm just average. Curvy, maybe a little too soft, All American Average. Would they have a Yukata that would fit my tall and slightly more round Gaijin Stature? Luckily they did...if I had been any bigger I would have been out of luck...and my big booty is what made it a really close call.

As soon as we established that it fit I was like a kid in a candy shop! I wanted the obi decoration to match. I wanted a flower for my hair. I started looking at bags and geta when Kayo said, "Katie, stop. See how much you have already?"
"Oh yeah...." I turned to the store keep, "So how much is everything I have picked out already?"
"25,000 Yen"
"Yikes! Yep, I'm done. Let's buy this and go before I spend my entire trips budget." lol
So now, I have this beautiful Yukata with almost all the fixings. I did get a bag later at a cheaper store and I have geta at home. It is a more modern style that doesn't get all complicated to tie as it is pre-set. There isn't any velcro, but isn't old fashioned either.

I'm in LOVE!