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Originally Posted by MikeB
It's always nice to read a well thought out and articulate response. I apologise for editing my post, I wasn't aware that you'd already written a response to the first edit. Unfortunately I have to disagree with you though. Your post would make sense if it were true that there are strict rules for governing the wearing of yukata's, but other than folding it over right to left and wearing them only in the Summer months there aren't. It isn't a strict thing at all, yukatas aren't bound up in any strict rules. I'm not sure where you got that from. They are always casual wear.
If you live in Tokyo just take a trip to Shibuya station and see the hello kitty yukatas the gyaru there wear. Or go to Kyoto and get dressed up in the kit that the hostels offer their guests. Granted I wouldn't wear them just to go to work or anything, but I absolutely would and will wear one for the Summer festivals or for a fun trip round Kyoto in the Summer months. I wear one at home a lot because it is so humid in the Summer and a Yukata is about the most comfortable thing to wear. If someone suggests that you can't wear one because of a "this is my culture" sort of prejudice that they're quite frankly being a little idiotic but I've never encountered this from a Japanese person. Thankfully, in my experience, the reaction seems to be quite different.
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I think we can agree that what a person does in their own home is their business, and doesn't really apply to the topic. I'm sure some people wear much weirder things than yukata around the house.
Gyaru, too, are somewhat outside of a norm. They wear yukata as a costume element come fashion statement, and not everyone agrees with their style. They're a specific sub-set of their own, and I bet their choice in yukata is still (yes, i'm going to saying) somewhat bound up in the social rules of the group. Eg; it's got to be cute and girly, have hello kitty on it or whatnot.
Yukata in a hotel are definitely bound by social rules. People who don't normally wear yukata might wear one at a hotel; because inside the hotel it's a norm, and wearing one is 'joining in'. It's almost exactly the same as Matsuri. Sure, it's not as flashy, and much more casual but there's still a social norm, or rule, which says 'inside staying-in-hotel context, Yukata ok, outside staying-in-hotel context yukata a bit odd'.
You already said "Granted I wouldn't wear them just to go to work or anything" or out of season, and why not? Because it would be a subversion of a norm. This is what I mean when I say yukata wearing is bound up by rules, and notably different rules to kimono. Seeing someone by themselves shopping wearing a kimono is statistically unusual perhaps, but not a break from the rule as kimono can still be considered as proper general day attire. Seeing someone by themselves shopping wearing a yukata, you might think, "where are they going?" if it's a nice one, or 'didn't they get dressed properly today?' if it's a thin hotel sort. And if they seem to be wearing it just for the kicks, you might think "how odd!" Compound that scenario onto a large, non-japanese speaking foreign man, and it's understandably a little cringe-worthy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeB
If someone suggests that you can't wear one because of a "this is my culture" sort of prejudice that they're quite frankly being a little idiotic but I've never encountered this from a Japanese person.
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I've never encountered it either. I'm also not sure if they really are so precious about their culture as that, because every time i've tried to get involved in some culture event people have always really pushed the boat out to help me do so. Although I think some of the older generation find it a bit saddening that the traditional arts sometimes only seem to get any interest from foreigners, not young Japanese people.