In Style

Last Monday we celebrated Marine Day, a secular holiday that was only introduced about a decade ago and doesn't have a traditional meaning. Nevertheless, it signifies some leisure time for the hard-working Japanese and what better way to spend it than on shopping, the national sport? I got invited by Yukino to join her and her mom on a trip to Diamond City, a huge shopping mall on the outskirts of Fukuoka. As I'm still 'financially challenged' there was no option of consuming vast amounts of money, but I did have one item on my list. Ever since admiring elegant young girls in yukata at last year's summer festivals I have wanted one myself, and now the time had come! The yukata is a casual form of kimono, often made from cotton and a common sight at traditional festivals, firework displays and other summer events.

We started our quest in a sophisticated kimono store where the lovely lady dressed me in a highly fashionable, designer-made and of course expensive yukata. As much as I loved the intricate pattern & silky material, at $US 500 it was definitely out of my range... So off we went to more appropriate retailers, like the ubiquitous Japanese chain Uniqlo. I was slightly skeptical about the quality and style of their yukatas, but to my pleasant surprise I found one that was both easy on the eye & my budget! Yukino's mum (pictured above) used her expert knowledge to wrap me up, making me wonder how I will ever get this done myself. The plan though is to wear it at least once before I leave for Belgium in three weeks, fingers crossed the tight obi (belt) won't cause me to faint in the stifling heat!

The final result