When festivals and events are being held in the summer, you see people wearing yukata on the streets around town.
At sightseeing spots there are services that let you experience walking around town in a yukata yourself, and they are popular with overseas tourists.
The yukata is very open at the neck, cuffs and feet, meaning its well ventilated, and its cotton and linen material mean it can be worn without feeling too hot, and somehow it has an elegant ambience about it.
In the past, I gave a flower-patterned yukata and clog sandals to a friend living in a tropical country, and they liked it so much that when we met again later they were wearing it with a paper fan in hand, so I think a yukata makes for a good souvenir gift. Since then, ever since i’ve made plans to make that friend, they always beg me for a yukata with a new design, and this year, when I met them for the first time in awhile, it was a yukata with a Demon Slayer design. (Demon Slayer is an anime that is popular even overseas.)
In Japan, part of the fun of a yukata is to gradually pick up the little accessories that go with a yukata, such as clog sandals, a bag for your yukata, or hair decorations. Coordinating the appearance of the yukata, sandals and bag how you’d like is also all part of the fun.
These days they are available cheaply in thrift shops, with some yukata starting around 1,000 yen, so you can buy one for yourself or as a souvenir gift for others. If you come to Japan in the summer, please feel free to find a yukata you like and enjoy walking around the city.