Woman's Yukata, Japan

Clothing and Dress

Woman's Yukata, Japan

1900 - 1940

The Japanese yukata and red scarf were donated to the University of Rhode Island’s Historic Textile and Costume Collection (URI HTCC) in April 1962 by Phyllis Brown. The yukata and scarf had originally belonged to Mrs. Nellie H. Metcalf from Carolina, Rhode Island. Mrs. Metcalf passed away in 1962 and Phyllis Brown donated the items to the university collection on her behalf. The material analysis that follows is using Fleming’s Artifact Study Model.

The Japanese yukata is made of a natural-colored cotton-crepe fabric printed with a botannical design in red and teal, with an accompanying scarf made of a bright red cotton-crepe fabric. The yukata is unlined and appears to be entirely handsewn.

The garment is constructed of rectangles of fabric, only cut to fit around the neck of the wearer. There are no shoulder seams, rather the back and front on each side of the body are made from a single length of the cotton material that is 14 inches wide. Other lengths of fabric are added along the sides. The back includes the two panels, each the 14-inch width of the fabric, sewn into a center back seam. Two narrower panels create a center pleat inserted at the waist. This pleat is not typical of Japanese yukatas.

The front of the yukata is made of four panels, two on each side and none the full width of the fabric. Each panel that extends over the shoulder from the back is cut to accomodate the neck of the wearer. A narrower panel is sewn to each side front, widening out to the hem and creating the overlap. The neckline and front edges are finished with an added band, measuring 2.5 inches wide. Below this band, the edges are finished by turning the fabric twice and stitching.

The sleeves are composed of two panels, one that utilizes the full width of the fabric and one that is 2.25 inches wide. Several stands of dark orange embroidery thread have been hand sewn along the sleeve's opening, closing the bottom three quarters of the cuff and creating a narrower opening for the arm.

In the areas of the yukata where the full fabric width is utilized, the seams are finished with the selvages. The fabric used to construct this yukata is fairly narrow, measuring only 14 inches across. Where the fabric was cut, the finishing is French seams or the seam allowances are completely enclosed.

The yukata features a botanical print of bright red berries with blue-green leaves. This design has been identified as the Japanese shrub Nandina Domestica, also known as “sacred bamboo” or “heavenly bamboo.” A satin-weave silk label is sewn on the inside of the back at the top of the pleat, printed with the words “Nozawaya Silk Store Yokohama.”

Japanese yukatas are unlined cotton robes constructed in the same style as kimonos. Kimonos are floor length robes worn with the left side wrapped over the right and fastened with a wide belt known as an obi.^[1] Like kimonos, yukatas are also secured with an obi, however yukatas tend to be ankle length rather than floor length.^[2] The term yukata means “bathing cloth,” as this garment originated from Japan’s onsen (hot spring) culture; traditionally yukatas were worn when moving between hot springs.^[3] They are the typical attire for play and relaxation.

The use of yukatas as festival attire started in the Edo period (1603-1868). Nowadays yukatas are worn more often than kimonos and considered more comfortable and casual than traditional silk kimonos.^[4] This is especially true during the summertime when a silk-lined kimono may be too hot. Yukatas commonly have water related motifs to invoke a feeling of coolness and were traditionally shibori-dyed in shades of blue and white.^[5] Alternatively, women’s yukatas often feature floral motifs while men’s garments tend to display geometric motifs.^[6]  Given the botanical print on this yukata from the URI HTCC, it was most likely worn by a woman.

The Nozawaya Silk-Store was established in Bentendori, Yokohama in 1856. The company opened their export department in 1882 that catered to a European market.^[7] This store was established towards the end of the Meiji period (1868-1912).

The following information was found on this store: a flier from the 1893 World Fair, an advertisement from 1910, and an advertisement from 1920. (See accompnaying images) This leads me to believe that this yukata is most likely from the late Meiji period (1868-1912). This date range is also reflected in the construction, as kimonos made before the 16th century were constructed from fabric 16 inches in width, whereas kimonos made in the 17th century onwards were constructed from fabric that is 14 inches in width. Additionally, the sleeves on the older style of kimono were shorter, being half as wide as the full width of the fabric whereas the newer style had longer sleeves that were as wide as the fabric.^[8] The yukata from the URI HTCC is made of fabric that measures 14 inches wide, making it more consistent with the newer style of kimono.

This yukata is unusual in that it has a large pleat down the center back that is not normally seen in traditional Japanese yukatas or kimonos. One example of a kimono with a similar pleat in the back is the garment pictured above. This kimono is from the late nineteenth to early twentieth century and is suspected to be an export garment.^[9] Like the yukata from the URI HTCC, this includes a matching scarf with knotted fringe trim.

Another example of a kimono with a pleat in the back is found in an illustration of patterns from 1906-1916. The illustration of six styles of kimono patterns from the album Gaijin muke kimono zuan, which translates to “Kimono Designs for Foreigners,” from Takashimaya, ca. 1909–1916.^[10] Due to the similarity of the yukata from the URI HTCC and the export garment kimonos, as well as the Nozawaya Silk-Store heavily advertising to a foreign market, I believe that this is most likely also an export garment and the pleat was added to accommodate the fashions of late 19th and early 20th century clothing, and to appeal to Western fashion. The yukata being an export garment also strengthens the argument that it is from the late-19th century to early-20th century. In addition, the label in the yukata is in English rather than Japanese, indicating it was made for an English-speaking customer.

Nandina Domestica, known as “sacred bamboo,” “heavenly bamboo,” or “nan ten zhu” in Japanese, is often used in symbolic artwork due to the last character in its name “zhu” being a homophone for the Japanese word for wish. Because the plant is associated with being sacred, representations of the plant symbolize a divine wish.^[11] Nan ten translates to “southern sky,” however it can also be pronounced as another Japanese word that means “problems that turn for the better.” This second pronunciation gives the plant an association with good fortune.^[12]

Sacred bamboo is often paired with other plants for specific wishes. For example, pairing it with camellia, narcissus and lingzhi means a wish for prosperity and longevity or pairing it with peonies and chrysanthemum is wish for wealth. Nandina Domestica is also often used in the background of symbolic arrangements for weddings; paired with the double happiness symbol is a wish for happiness in marriage.^[13] Nandina is also known as a “home shrub,” and often planted next to buildings and doorways to protect households.^[14] The plant is also said to only be able to thrive in happy households. Having this plant printed on the yukata from the URI HTCC would symbolize good fortune to the wearer.

At the beginning of the Meiji period in 1868, Japan experienced a period of modernization that was heavily influenced by Western practices.^[15] Japan wanted to align itself with Western countries while still retaining its national identity as an Asian country. The Japonisme craze in the Western world reinvigorated Japanese nationalism and appreciation towards cultural traditions. Through the 1878 Paris Exposition, Japanese officials came to the realization that traditional Japanese art and antiquities were seen as more authentic to foreigners and thus more appreciated by them.^[16] This led to what is known as bijutsu, what would be considered “fine art” in Western terms. Bijutsu included pre-modern Japanese objects that Westerners would have considered “authentically” Japanese, as well as  modern-made export products manufactured for a foreign market that reflected a Western idealized view of Japan.^[17] By the end of the 19th century, Japan had established a global image of itself as an artistic country, securing invitations to world fairs and expositions where it used its newfound foreign audience to establish political power. An example of this is the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair where spectators could hear a live broadcast of the Russo-Japanese War at the Japanese Pavilion.^[18] Through the allure of artwork, Japan was able to garner sympathy and support against Russia. Export textiles played a part in this as they were marketed as bijutsu or fine art.^[19] The yukata from the URI HTCC represents the idealized artistic image that Japan sold to the world to gain political power.

Export garments were popular in Western markets during the late 19th century and early-20th century during the Japonisme craze. Many export garments were made wider in the back to accommodate being worn over the bustle skirts that were popular in Western fashion.^[20] Additionally, during this time Westerners often wore Japanese robes unfastened without an obi belt, which may be why the yukata from the URI HTCC does not have one. Like the yukata from the URI HTCC, Japanese export garments were often made of crepe weave fabrics as Westerners associated crepe fabrics with Japan.^[21] The yukata from the URI HTCC is completely hand sewn. Many Japanese export garments used handwork and older, more traditional construction methods as Westerners saw Japan as being more traditional and old fashioned, and thus romanticized these handwork techniques in Japanese textiles as being more authentic. Westerners saw Japanese art as nostalgic, symbolic of a simpler time, an idealized past that contrasts the mechanization of the Industrial Revolution.^[22] Export garments created an idealized Oriental fantasy for Westerners, an exotic alternative to mainstream fashion. Even today there is an exoticized fascination with Japanese fashion styles. Japanese streetwear and harajuku styles are popular among Western youth. In most major US cities there are communities for Japanese fashion subcultures where members arrange meetings to dress up and hang out. There are large conventions held annually in appreciation for Japanese anime cartoons and manga art where attendees don attire inspired by the art or various Japanese subculture fashions.

Footnotes

^[1]Terry Satsuki Milhaupt, “Kimono,” in Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: East Asia, edited by John E. Vollmer (New York: Berg Publishers, 2010), 355. DOI: 10.2752/BEWDF/EDch6058.

^[2]  Cheryl Imperatore & Paul Maclardy, Kimono, Vanishing Tradition: Japanese Textiles of the 20th Century, New York: Schiffer, 2000, 28.

^[3] “31 Things You Should Know About Japanese Yukata,” Japan Objects Store, Japan Objects Store, July 7, 2023, https://shop.japanobjects.com/blogs/editorial/yukata-guide.

^[4] Gonick, Gloria Granz, “Festival Dress in Japan,” in Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: East Asia, edited by John E. Vollmer (New York: Berg Publishers, 2010), 364. DOI: 10.2752/BEWDF/EDch6058.

^[5] Gonick, “Festival Dress in Japan,” 364.

^[6] Cheryl Imperatore & Paul Maclardy, Kimono, Vanishing Tradition, 28.

^[7] Kjeld Duits, “Yokohama 1900s: Maiko at Japanese Garden,” Old Photos of Japan, December 28, 2021, Retrieved on November 3, 2023 from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/854/maiko-at-japanese-garden.

^[8] Terry Satsuki Milhaupt, “Kimono,” 355.

^[9] Cheryl Imperatore & Paul Maclardy, Kimono, Vanishing Tradition, 184.

^[10] Mei Mei Rado, “The Hybrid Orient: Japonisme and Nationalism of the Takashimaya Mandarin Robes,” Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture 19, 5 (2015): 589. https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2015.1071071.

^[11] “Why Nandina Plant Is Called The Sacred Bamboo,” Feng Shuied, Feng Shuied, February 24, 2022, https://www.fengshuied.com/nandina-plant.

^[12] Corinne Kennedy, “Heavenly Bamboo is a graceful shrub, not a true bamboo,” Seattle Japanese Garden, Seattle Japanese Garden, November 20, 2017, https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/2017/11/20/heavenly-bamboo-is-a-graceful-shrub-not-a-true-bamboo#:~:text=The%20Japanese%20name%20for%20Nandina,use%20in%20promoting%20good%20fortune.

^[13] “Why Nandina Plant Is Called The Sacred Bamboo.”

^[14] Kennedy, “Heavenly Bamboo.”

^[15] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 604.

^[16] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 605.

^[17] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 605.

^[18] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 605.

^[19] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 605.

^[20] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 590.

^[22] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 591.

^[23] Rado, “The Hybrid Orient,” 599.

References

Duits, Kjeld. “Yokohama 1900s: Maiko at Japanese Garden.” Old Photos of Japan. December 28, 2021. Retrieved on November 3, 2023 from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/854/maiko-at-japanese-garden.

Gonick, Gloria Granz. “Festival Dress in Japan.” In Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: East Asia, edited by John E. Vollmer, 361-367. New York: Berg Publishers, 2010. DOI: 10.2752/BEWDF/EDch6058.

Imperatore, Cheryl & Paul Maclardy. Kimono, Vanishing Tradition: Japanese Textiles of the 20th Century. New York: Schiffer, 2000.

Kennedy, Corinne. “Heavenly Bamboo is a graceful shrub, not a true bamboo.” Seattle Japanese Garden. Seattle Japanese Garden, November 20, 2017. https://www.seattlejapanesegarden.org/blog/2017/11/20/heavenly-bamboo-is-a-graceful-shrub-not-a-true-bamboo#:~:text=The%20Japanese%20name%20for%20Nandina,use%20in%20promoting%20good%20fortune.

Merry, Adam. “More Than a Bath: An Examination of Japanese Bathing Culture.” Senior thesis. Claremont College, 2013. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/665.

Milhaupt, Terry Satsuki. “Kimono.” In Encyclopedia of World Dress and Fashion: East Asia, edited by John E. Vollmer, 355-360. New York: Berg Publishers, 2010.  DOI: 10.2752/BEWDF/EDch6058.

Mochizuki, Kotaro. Advertisement for Nozawaya; a souvenir of the Anglo-Japanese exhibition held in London. 1910. Advertisement. https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/854/maiko-at-japanese-garden.

1920 Oriental Palace Hotel, Yokohama, Japan- Menu/Nozawaya Silk Store. Photograph. WorthPoint. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/1920-oriental-palace-hotel-yokohama-488038147.

Rado, Mei Mei. “The Hybrid Orient: Japonisme and Nationalism of the Takashimaya Mandarin Robes.” Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture 19, 5 (2015): 583-616. https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2015.1071071.

Six types of “kimono” patterns. ca. 1909-1916. In Gaijin muke kimono zuan. Illustration. Takashimaya Historical Museum. Retrieved from “The Hybrid Orient: Japonisme and Nationalism of the Takashimaya Mandarin Robes,” by Mei Mei Rado, 589. Fashion Theory: The Journal of Dress, Body and Culture 19, 5 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1080/1362704X.2015.1071071.

“31 Things You Should Know About Japanese Yukata.” Japan Objects Store. Japan Objects Store, July 7, 2023. https://shop.japanobjects.com/blogs/editorial/yukata-guide.

An unusual set of a kimono with a pleat in the back and a shawl with knotted fringe. Photograph. In Kimono, Vanishing Tradition: Japanese Textiles of the 20th Century, by Cheryl Imperatore & Paul Maclardy, 184. New York: Schiffer, 2000.

“Why Nandina Plant Is Called The Sacred Bamboo.” Feng Shuied. Feng Shuied, February 24, 2022. https://www.fengshuied.com/nandina-plant.

Donor: Phyllis Brown, on behalf of Nellie H. Metcalf (Mrs.)

URI 1961.39.01a, b

Arianna Gutierrez
Susan J. Jerome, MS '06