Japanese Summer Afternoon

I was very happy to be invited by MIYABI, a Japanese Culture Hub in Stockholm, to host a yukata dressing workshop as part of their first-ever event, “Japanese Summer Afternoon.”

Although the Swedish summer was already beginning to cool down, it was a lovely afternoon filled with Japanese summer culture.

The participants were divided into two groups. While one group enjoyed making their own uchiwa(traditional Japanese fans) and tasting Japanese tea and sweets, the other group took part in the yukata dressing workshop. After a while, the groups switched activities, so everyone had the chance to experience both.

It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying the process and trying something new. I was very happy to share a little taste of a Japanese summer with them.

The event was held entirely in English, which was also a valuable challenge for me. While I sometimes felt the language barrier, it was a great opportunity to step outside my comfort zone and communicate about something I love. It also reminded me that I still have plenty to learn when it comes to English!

A little behind the scenes

When this event was first decided, I suddenly realized that I had never actually held a self-dressing yukata workshop before. Until then, I had always dressed everyone myself!

So, in July, I held a small trial workshop to see how it would work. We were lucky enough to have beautiful weather that day, so we spread out picnic blankets in a park, practiced dressing in yukata together, and then enjoyed a photo session followed by fika.

The relaxed atmosphere was wonderful, and it made me think, “I’d love to do this again!”

Interestingly, that first workshop was held entirely in Swedish, while the MIYABI event was in English. Both experiences gave me new challenges and new confidence.

I’m very grateful to MIYABI for giving me the opportunity to share Japanese culture in such a warm and welcoming setting. I hope this was just one of many opportunities to introduce more people to the beauty and joy of kimono and yukata.

Little by little, I hope to continue creating opportunities to enjoy kimono here in Sweden—and to meet more people who share a love for Japanese culture along the way.

There are still so many things I would love to try.One step at a time, I hope to make them happen.

Photo By Wakana Nakata

MIYABI https://miyabi-sthlm.com/