is it bad to wear clothing like kimonos, furisodes, hakamas, haoris, yukatas, etc if im not japanese?

22 comments

1. Well like much of Japanese culture, there is a time and place for things. It’s not bad to wear them in general. Japanese people love when foreigners experience Japanese culture and they enjoy seeing it more and more in fashion. However kimono, the actual thing no the cheap cotton ones that most confuse when they are actually yukata, need to be treated with great respect when wearing as it is disrespectful to the maker. Otherwise it wouldn’t be bad to wear that stuff. Just weird and not in the right context. Most are worn in ceremonies or during festivals. So feel free to wear them at those specific places. But no, they are not bad to wear in and of themselves.

2. It really depends on who you ask.

   From what I have personally experienced, Japanese people do not care. In fact, a lot of them think it’s cool when foreigners like their culture/clothing/etc. There are also probably some Japanese people who would be upset because, unfortunately, xenophobia and racism do exist in Japan (not as a norm, but more than you would think).

   Personally, I say just wear whatever you like. You’re bound to upset someone regardless of what you do, so I say just wear it. And unless an actual Japanese person tells you to take it off (unlikely), I’d say you’re probably fine. Anyone else who isn’t Japanese doesn’t really have a say in the matter – as much as they might think they do.

3. Is it bad for salarymen to wear suits to work? This is also “cultural appropriation”

4. A full kimono would be a bit much if worn for no reason I guess.

   But haoris are pretty casual. I have a bunch I just tend to wear as a jacket. I also have a few jackets and shawls which aren’t haoris but have a similar style, or a similar pattern/material.

   The line can get pretty blurry. There’s similar fashion throughout the world, and lots of modern clothing based on older designs. I’ve never had anyone call me out, and the haoris I bought when I was in Japan and they didn’t say “no foreigners” or anything, they were happy to help. I wouldn’t say it’s particularly disrespectful, but I think it depends a lot on your actual attitude, how you wear it, what you talk about, etc. as to whether you’ll come off as an asiaboo or not.

5. Your question boils down to “Is it wrong to ignore racism?”. And the answer is no. It’s not. If someone objects to what you’re wearing based on your race, you should ignore them.

   That said, you should try to get it right. If you’re gonna embrace a culture, understand it first. Nothing to do with race, mind you. There’s this amazing chef, forget his name, who cooks the most amazing traditionally Mexican food (the real deal, not fast food). I mean he’s ELITE. Mexican cuisine is his whole life. He understands it as well as anyone on Earth. And he happens to be US born and Caucasian. So he gets a lot of grief from racists who claim he has no right to be an expert in Mexican food.

   He ignores it.

   That’s where you want to be. You don’t want to be the buffoon who has a shallow to no understanding of a culture, and tries to be a proponent of it nonetheless.

6. No.

   If the occasion suits it, go for it. I wish people would stop worrying about this cultural appropriation bollocks. Cultural appropriation is when you take something from another culture and claim it as your own.

   There used to be a saying, “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” but we can’t do that now because we’re scared shitless we might offend some snowflake.

   There are however certain patterns and colours that are suitable for some occasions and not others which is something to be aware of. Even seemingly minor details such as the number of pleats in a hakama can have significance.

7. Traditional Japanese kimono makers encourage you to wear it: https://theartsmechanical.wordpress.com/2015/11/06/please-appropriate-our-culture-say-the-kimono-makersj/

8. Most of that “don’t do X because it’s cultural appropriation” hype is in the U.S. Most Japanese people actually like foreigners taking part in their culture.

9. There is a time and place to wear these garments if I’m being fully honest. Not a lot of people just decide to throw on a whole fit like that for the heck of it. If you’re in Japan then I’d say go for it (I’d recommend a rental shop bc they dress you) because it shows you’re immersing yourself in the culture as long as you’re not disrespectful of the garment. However if you are not in Japan, I don’t think you’d get any particular reaction and might look like an oddball with the whole getup. I actually have a haori and love to wear it at home though!

10. Depends on where and who you ask. Most Japanese people don’t care as long as you wear it with respect. So, you must know Japanese culture in depth. In the western world, I have experienced ridicule, disciplinary action by questioning me why I was eating Japanese food or why I was learning Japanese. This was long time ago. Nowadays, they would have accepted much better. I am 57 years old and this was 40 years ago or so. I don’t think it is racism but cultural myopia.

11. It’s fine.

    I bought a littke jinbei for my son last summer. Got a lot of compliment.
    As long as it fits the situation, it’s fine. Imagine wearing a tuxedo to go to mcdonalds.

12. Excellent question. I bought 2 Yukatas from Japan and wondered if I was being disrespectful. I love Japanese culture.

13. From my experience, just the fact that you’re worried about how you might come across means you’re fine! You’re thinking hard about how to be respectful and that’s what matters.

    Cultural appropriation is definitely a thing, but this is how I view it: you absolutely can go visit your friend, eat the food they make, play dress-up and have a cute, fun time. You just can’t take their food and clothes home without permission lol.

    But definitely, celebrating the culture is always great to build bridges! Good luck and have fun!!

14. Adding to all the comments, it’s perfectly fine as long as you wear it in the correct place and time, and don’t forget the proper wrap in the front which is *left over right* so many people get this wrong and they look like they’ve died

15. Culture Appropriation exist, for those that don’t believe in it are probably privileged. That said, it’s not bad to wear anything long as you are respecting the culture.

16. There’s a difference between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. As long as you’re wearing cultural garments appropriately and in the right context, perfect. Do your research and wear to your heart’s content. Buy from an actual Japanese company or maker and support their businesses.

    Breaking it down further, with cultural appropriation think more along the lines of companies slapping the label of “kimono” on cardigans/robes because it sounds “exotic”. These robes are obviously not kimonos. You’d be wearing an actual kimono in the proper way because of a respect and interest in the culture and not in danger of erasing a cultures identity. This goes for any garment, there are just a lot of unfortunate examples for kimonos.

17. Mods can we please answer this question in the sidebar

18. Well, the odds are greater than zero you’re going to offend someone, but not that much greater.

19. The only time I’ve really seen people (Japanese or otherwise) legitimately make a fuss about Asian clothing styles without some form of cultural appropriation accusation is in martial arts schools that still wear formal practice attire. The students are expected to dress themselves properly at the risk of getting a scolding from instructors for not doing so. Sure, a beginner or a child might get away with stuff being out of place here and there, but they’re pretty universally expected to straighten that out before earning the right to test for a higher rank. I think this epitomises what other users were saying about wearing the garments with respect.

20. Every summer there‘s a Japanese festival in the city near me. My neighbour happens to be Japanese and every summer she assists my husband and me in dressing us in our Yukata. So far she has taught us 4 different ways of tying obi, and she also taught me how to properly fold a kimono. At the festival itself, lots of people wear Yukata, both Japanese and other. A lot of the Japanese guests express how impressed they are to see people wear them here (Europe). It‘s very nice and I don‘t think people mind, but they may tell you if you wear it wrong 🙂

21. When I got my Yukata in Japan, I asked the maker if it was okay for me to wear it. He said it was wonderful I was taking part in their traditions. He taught me how to tie it correctly, and how to style it. It was actually really lovely.

22. Kind of a weird question when you ask it about a culture that is notorious for absorbing whole parts of other cultures 🙂 I’d say few things are more Japanese than appropriating other people’s culture.