Yukata
/juːˈkɑːtə/noun
A lightweight Japanese robe traditionally worn after bathing or during warm weather and festivals.
Did you know?Yukata developed from the Edo-period yukatabira, a simple hemp garment worn in communal bathhouses to protect the skin and absorb moisture.
Etymological Timeline
Heian Period
Japanese
yukatabira
“A light hemp garment worn while bathing or after bathing”
Edo Period
Japanese
浴衣
“A simplified bathing robe increasingly worn outside bathhouses”
18th–19th Century
Japanese
yukata
“An informal cotton robe used after bathing and in domestic life”
Meiji Period
Japanese
yukata
“A casual summer garment, especially associated with warm-weather leisure”
Modern English
English
yukata
“A lightweight Japanese robe worn after bathing or at festivals”