What is one of the things most associated with a stay at a traditional Japanese inn?

Some might think first of the greeting by the staff of the ryokan when you arrive. Others might think of sinking up to their shoulders in the hot water of the onsen bath or relaxing in a Japanese-style room.

However, the thing that plays a valuable supporting role for all of these things is the yukata (summer kimono).

The moment you step out of the bath and pass your arm through the cleanliness of the yukata, you are surrounded by a feeling of coolness and a mysterious liberation.

Here at Dai-ichi Takimotokan, we recently chose a new yukata design for our guests. The old style, which we loved very much, was about thirty years old.

As shown in the above picture, our former yukata were characterized by a unique striping pattern. Men wore dark blue and women dark red. Boys wore light blue, while girls wore pink and were very colorful.

However, it was time for a change.

Here are the new yukata.

What do you think? The photo above shows a man and a boy; however, this time we have done more than just change the color and pattern. We decided to use the same color for both men and women.

Here is the design for women.

This design with its gently curving lines over a green fabric brings to mind the fresh green of the forested mountains that surround Noboribetsu Onsen. The idea behind it is to connect people and nature.

Also, we adopted a different style of coat. This one, a Jinbaori jacket, creates a more luscious atmosphere.

The children’s yukata are also the same shade of bright green as the men’s and women’s.

The yukata look very nice in combination, especially when families are all together as in the first photo.

We searched for new yukata for more than a year, trying different patterns and color combinations. The staff here at Dai-ichi Takimotokan gave thought to every detail from color and design as well as the patterns. Even during the final selection, we thought carefully about how our customers will spend their time in the yukata in order to make the best possible choice.

We are responsible for the management of a wide variety of items ranging from guest’s yukata to the food served to office equipment. Much of our work is behind-the-scenes so our guests do not have to think or worry about them, but even so, our staff spends a great deal of their energy and time each day thinking of ways to make our guests as comfortable as possible.

We will use the new yukata beginning Friday, August 11.

If you have any comments or thoughts about the yukata, please let our staff know. Your thoughts and ideas are very helpful and encouraging for us as we continue to improve.