Yukata YoKATA!

It`s within my final month in Japan. And yet still! I have sizeable realizations about aspects of Japanese culture being why they are.

The latest eye-opener to me concerns explaining how and why the Japanese move how they do. I`ve always been quite bemused by how the Japanese move. And impressed by it! They tend to move quite quickly. But not in large extensive strides – the manner that most people would move in the west in, if they wanted to get somewhere quickly; they move quickly in a sort of running trot. Small, fast moving steps. Quite lightly on the floor so they are not making thuds. (I have to add an NB here to say that this movement is more typically found among women. Though, men do do this small trotting run also a lot (in addition to regular striding also). It is SO COMMON in a working environment. If there is a phone call someone will leap up from their desk and do the small trotting run to the phone. If someone asks someone to do something/ come here/ go over there – they will do it in the small trotting run.

I noticed it as a difference from a western way of moving because – although on the surface it is something small – it is obvious enough to strike me as a difference. I imagine that in western countries, in the work place people will slump up from their desk to get the phone. And perhaps trudge over to the phone. Because they are tired from getting up from their chair. Obviously people do move quickly in the west. With those big strides. But I would say generally this is done when there is a large distance to cover. Not within the room of an office. In Japan the fast movement is done over small distances.

When I had noticed this in the past I had always assumed that this interesting aspect of the Japanese was tied up with their strong work ethic. The importance to be a very keen and hardworking and enthusiastic contributory member to the working organization. But this weekend I realized this, was not the only reason.

At the weekend I went to another one of April and Jeff’s wicked parties in the countryside of Fukushima. This time the theme was national dress. What with us Americans, British and New Zealand being a bit thin on the ground re national dress someone suggested that we all buy ourselves yukata (the more informal summer version of the Japanese kimono, and where those). So, me Andrew and Jean went to buy ourselves new Yukata and all the rest of it (all the ties, and the obi belt, and hard structures, and undergarments that all strap you into this quite uncomfortable outfit).

We had a fun day the day after Yukata shopping when Tomoko drove us up into Fukushima, we went to a nature area, went on some fun slide thing which you pay money in a vending machine to use (nature rarely ever just natural in Japan). Went to eat soba in the restaurant, went to the kids park area. Jean sighed that we wouldn`t be doing any walking or exploring or anything. Which I might have sighed at before too. But to be honest I`m used to how the Japanese enjoy nature (unless you are a serious hiker). You should not overexert yourself or find ANYTHING even the tiniest bit strenuous. So we went on the ride, we ate, we mooched around the play park.
Then we went to our favourite café for coffee and cake. (I had tea and a pudding though!). Then we went to the onsen. Not that we had earnt the nice café or the onsen in any way! But the Japanese don`t think like that. If they`re having time off, every aspect of the day should be purely enjoyable and relaxing and JUST fun.

And then after a quick shower and go in the onsen us girls got changed into our yukata. First the undergarment – a kind of white hospital dressing gown, then we had to wrap a towel into a square shape and tie it with a cotton tie around our stomach (just under boobs!). The reason for this is – what is attractive to the Japanese – at least traditionally anyway – is for women to be totally flat all the way down. Therefore you put enough folded towels against your rib/ stomach area to make your stomach come out to the same level as your boobs so you go straight down with absolutely no womanly curves to be seen. Then you put on the yukata itself, pulling back the collar so you show off the back of the neck which is meant to be sexy. Then the obi is tied – Tomoko did a brilliant bow on the back of mine. Then a stiff thing is shoved in between the obi and the yukata. And there`s another tie that goes on somewhere but I can`t remember exactly. All of this amounts to a phenomenally restrictive outfit in which it is very hard to move. You can only take small steps in a yukata/ kimono because you are wrapped up almost like a mummy in all the fabric. And that`s not even considering the ridiculous wooden platform clogs that women have to wear where it is impossible to do anything other than take small steps.

So – my great realization is – that it is the Japanese traditional outfit (which is still very popular today) that is a principle cause of how the Japanese move how they do. It`s not only to look cute – but also strongly caused by the clothing (though the clothing style could of course have been designed over time to create and reinforce this style of movement that is thought attractive. All the movments that associate with the Japanese – the little run, the small slow inward steps in tea ceremony, the kneeling, the bowing: all of these movements are the easy ones to do when you are tied up in a yukata/ kimono so THAT IS WHY. What a great realization J

As an important end note to this subject I have to say how popular the Japanese traditional dress is, to the Japanese people. People love wearing yukata (despite how restrictive and comfortable I found it). There is a genuine fondness for them. I guess that people do find the look of them very attractive. I have to say – they are not something I have found instantly attractive as a clothing style – it is afterall very opposite from western fashions past and present, but, the yukata and kimono style has grown on me over the course of this year. I didn`t buy one for ages because I didn`t like them at first. But, now I finally bought one and tried it on and went to the party in it – I surprised myself and quite liked the look of myself in it! Me and Jean had a lot of fun running about like Japanese people in our yukata, having little races, pretending to serve tea to people, excessive amounts of bowing! (Bowing by the way – is one of the few movements it is possible to do very easily in a yukata. Another very interesting fitting little finding of this evening when I tried one on for the first time … given that the Japanese bow so much!)Given that the Japanese are usually entirely unfussed by fakeness – and do partake in a lot of ungenuine activities – which has pissed me off in the past – this genuine affection and use of their traditional dress in all daily life today is something that makes me feel really happy. Yuakata and kimono are sold everywhere – they are not just a novelty item that live in the past. They are part of Japan`s present. People wear them in summer in all the millions of big and totally insignificant festivals up and down this country. I see women in kimono at train stations throughout all the seasons. Like the tea ceremony which is genuinely alive in all the tea ceremony clubs in schools and the lessons women will take, and like the ikebana (flower arranging) classes and Japanses dance groups (that are always present in festival shows in large numbers from elderly participants though adults, young adults, teenagers, factory workers, kids) there are, these are the aspects of Japanese culture that is not superficialised in anyway. They are genuinely maintained through the will of the Japanese. And that makes me pleased :)