Have You Considered Wearing a Kimono to Experience Your Japanese Tea Ceremony?
Why not attend the Tea Ceremony wearing a kimono?
What is a Kimono?
The kimono rental and the tea ceremony go hand in hand.
What is a Kimono?
The kimono is one of the most iconic sartorial garments worn by both Japanese men and women. Women, in particular, wear it much more often than men.
Wearing a kimono in Japan is both a cultural statement when used casually and a prerequisite for formal life engagements and special occasions.
Can foreigners wear kimonos?
Japanese people welcome visitors from all over the world to wear a kimono. In Kyoto if you do your shopping wearing a kimono you will qualify for a 10% discount in many shops!
A kimono consists of a full length undergarment, over which you wear the full length kimono. Since they do not have buttons or zips, you rely on belts to hold them together. Embellishments are added from a range of accessories such as the obi, etc. Whereas for men, a simple belt and cord generally suffice.
What type of kimono should I wear?
Depending on the occasion, there are many types of kimonos that can be worn. Kimonos tend to be very floral and colourful for younger women and more plain with subtle designs for more mature women.
Men's kimonos are always plain but elegant. Alternatively, men can wear a Hakama in which case the lower part is shaped like a pair of baggy trousers. See adjacent photos.
Kimonos and Hakamas are quite elaborate to wear and generally you will need help to dress.
Treat yourself and wear a kimono!
Traditionally, wearing a kimono is compulsory for attending the Japanese tea ceremony. However, due to the cost and time required to wear the kimono, about 90 minutes or more if you want your face and hair done, we do not make it compulsory, just optional. Hence most guests attend wearing their normal travelling clothes.
If you do choose to attend wearing a kimono you can rent one from https://www.en-kyoto.yumeyakata.com/ and mention you are attending the Juan tea ceremony at your appointed time. You need to be there 90 minutes before your appointed time for the tea ceremony. The kimono shop is 5 minutes’ walk from us. The cost is around ¥5000/person for the basic kimono, which is the one we recommend. There are more elaborate kimonos that cost much more. The kimono is available for ladies, gents and children.
You hire the kimono for the whole day. Just arrive at Yumeyakata in your travelling clothes and you change at the shop where you leave your clothes in a locker. The staff at the shop will show you many different kimono patterns and you choose which one you want to wear. They will then dress you up and adjust your hair too.
You can walk about Kyoto wearing the kimono all day and return to the shop in the evening to return the kimono(s) and dress back in your travelling clothes.
Bear in mind that once you wear the lady’s kimono, 5 minutes’ walk may become 10 minutes because you will take much shorter steps as you walk.
People in Kyoto are accustomed to seeing overseas visitors walking about wearing a kimono, so walk confidently 😊
The procedure for wearing the kimono and attending the tea ceremony workshop is a follows:
- You make your way to the kimono rental shop
- You will be able to choose the pattern and colour that suits you most. You have about 15 minutes to make this choice from the generous available selection.
- The staff at Yumeyakata will then dress you up. This can take from 20 to 60 minutes if your package also includes a hair style.
- Walk to Ju-An for the Ceremony workshop. About five minutes walk.
- After the tea ceremony walk around Kyoto and enjoy the rest of your kimono experience.