This crowdfunding effort is for anyone who wants to recline at home in the luxury of a silky onsen yukata.
Onsen, with their natural hot spring and relaxing bathing facilities, are a beloved fixture in Japan. There’s nothing like the act of stripping down and allowing the steaming water to wash your stresses away, then relaxing in a light yukata afterward.
There are fewer and fewer excuses to get out to an onsen nowadays due to the ever-looming Covid-19 virus, but there are ways to capture that same soothing vibe at home. For example, if you’re SoraNews24 reporter Go Hatori, you could build your own outdoor tub to soak in. Failing that, you could just have a regular soak in the bath and then wrap yourself up in one of these glossy, glamorous yukata from an established Asakusa fabric factory.
▼ But not just yet — they’re still being funded.
The fabric for the yukata is carefully selected so that it’s suitable for home-washing but soft and silky enough that each time you slip your arms through the sleeves you’ll be treated to a little dose of luxury. Surprisingly, the yukata aren’t actually woven from silk — instead, they’re made from a wood pulp fiber that makes for incredibly smooth, lustrous fabric.
▼ The fabric is thick enough to wear it outside, too.
Light, comfy and absorbent, it’s a perfect piece of casual wear and adds a little frisson of excitement to your regular lounging about at home! The yukata are planned to be produced in three sizes — small, medium, and large — with the large size potentially fitting men as well. Multiple colors will also be available: caramel brown, gray, and blue.
The crowdfunding project has already met and surpassed its initial 300,000 yen (US$2,866.75) goal and at the time of writing has 260 backers for a combined crowdfunding sum of 5,258,400 yen (US$50252.29). The tiers that backers can select are varied, from the 500 yen tier that earns you some gift-wrapping fabric and a thank-you card to the deluxe 30,800 yen tier, which guarantees its buyer a yukata of their choice, an extra obi sash, and a short haori gown to wear atop of the yukata when it gets colder.
▼ The haori gowns are made of 100-percent wool and come in navy or brown variations.
▼ The obi sashes are also offered in navy and brown.
Of course, if you’d rather just own a yukata, it’s a comparatively cheap 17,800 yen. Separate tiers also exist for the haori and additional obi sashes, if you’d rather just spruce up an existing yukata.
The crowdfunding period ends on November 29 (JST), with products expected to be shipped out before the end of December. Make sure to check it out if you live in Japan and are missing the onsen experience, and especially if you missed out on the kimono roomwear from a few years ago — all prices through the crowdfunding effort are discounted compared to the planned prices for retail!
Source: Makuake/Yukata Roomwear by Nanafu via Japaaan Magazine
Images: Makuake/Yukata Roomwear by Nanafu
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