Yukata (Japanese summer kimono) - Yukata

Japanese: ゆかた(浴衣) - ゆかた

A single-layer summer home wear made from cotton yukata fabric. The name is derived from the yukatabira (bathrobe) worn by nobles when bathing in the past. Originally made from linen, the spread of cotton fabric and bathhouses during the Edo period led to the general public wearing it after bathing. There are records of it being used instead of a raincoat, but it was not only used after bathing, but also as summer home wear for common people, and older yukatas were used as nightwear and diapers. Yukatas were not considered something to wear in public, but it was only after the mid-Meiji period that high-quality versions were made that both men and women began to wear them when going out.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

木綿のゆかた地で単（ひとえ）仕立てにした夏の家庭着。昔，貴人が入浴のときに着た湯帷子（ゆかたびら）から転じた。本来は麻であったが，江戸時代木綿地とふろ屋の普及によって，一般にも湯上りに用いられるようになった。雨合羽のかわりに使った記録もあるが，湯上りだけでなく，庶民の夏の家庭着として，また古いゆかたは寝巻やおしめとして用いられた。人前で着るものとして扱われなかったゆかたが，男女ともに外出にも着るようになったのは明治中期以後，上物ができたからである。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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