Kilted in Japan!

**kingandrew** · 6th September 24, 10:30 PM

Japan is VERY hot and humid in the summer. I am sure the kilt was noticably more comfortable than shorts in the climate.

Hiroshima is an experience that will make you think deeply about the cruelty of war and question the "humanity" of humanity. It's fascinating to realize that two of the streetcars running in the city today were on duty the day the bomb fell!

I lived in China for 11 years and wore the kilt pretty regularly. People were often quite curious, and certainly wanted to take pictures with me. But no one was ever rude, although many did have questions. The kilt is definitely a source of relief in the muggy summer heat of Southern China. They all associate kilts with Scotland, and you will often hear them saying "Segulan" (Chinese for "Scotland") as you pass by kilted.

Although I have visited Japan several times, I never wore the kilt there. Most of my Japanese journeys have been in the winter, when being bundled up against the chill was a primary concern.

Although I have I have a couple of yukata (summer kimono), with the appropriate tabi socks and zori sandals, I don't have any Japanese-style underwear. To be honest, I had trouble finding my size in Japanese shops, as I am 6'3" and 200+ pounds. But i always found the country beautiful and fascinating, the people polite and kind, and the food delicious.

Andrew

**grizzbass** · 7th September 24, 08:54 AM

It looks like a great trip,

**Son of the Rock** · 16th September 24, 10:34 AM

Amazing. Glad you enjoyed it. Japan is such an incredible country. I'd go back yearly if it wasn't the other side of the world. Did you try chankonabe, when you were in Ryōgoku for the sumo?

I lived in Japan for 3 years. I actually did a presentation about highland dress in Japanese for a public event in Chiba. I also kilted up over there sometimes, although the only pictures I have are these ones from a Scotland vs Japan rugby match I attended in 2016. My kilt was in general a little too warm for the summer months over there, which were brutal, at least for a Scottish person like me.

**Norm** · 16th September 24, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by Son of the Rock

Amazing. Glad you enjoyed it. Japan is such an incredible country. I'd go back yearly if it wasn't the other side of the world. Did you try chankonabe, when you were in Ryōgoku for the sumo?

I lived in Japan for 3 years. I actually did a presentation about highland dress in Japanese for a public event in Chiba. I also kilted up over there sometimes, although the only pictures I have are these ones from a Scotland vs Japan rugby match I attended in 2016. My kilt was in general a little too warm for the summer months over there, which were brutal, at least for a Scottish person like me.

Unfortunately, the sumo season did not start until September, so we did not see any matches. I had never heard of chankonabe, so did not get to try it. But it looks like a healthy meal (I had a look on the internet). The kilt I wore was a light, ripstop utility kilt so it really did help with the heat, as well as utilizing a fundoshi with it. So how did the Japanese people respond to your wearing a kilt? It would be nice to start a trend with the Japanese adopting the kilt for their very hot and humid climate. Yet I know that it is very hard for any of them to step out of the mold and try something unique or different. Your kilt is nice; great color scheme. So, how long did it take you to learn Japanese? I did manage to learn hiragana and katakana, but kanji was a brick wall. Thank you for your post!

**User** · 16th September 24, 09:49 PM

Originally Posted by Norm

...
It would be nice to start a trend with the Japanese adopting the kilt for their very hot and humid climate. Yet I know that it is very hard for any of them to step out of the mold and try something unique or different.
...

Harajuku? I get what you're saying, but I feel like it's a stereotype. And like all stereotypes, it's not universally true. It's hard for most people, Japanese or not, to do things outside cultural norms. You can find plenty of people in the kilt world talking about getting over the hurdle of beginning to wear a kilt outside of cultural events.

**Son of the Rock** · 17th September 24, 01:21 AM

Originally Posted by Norm

Unfortunately, the sumo season did not start until September, so we did not see any matches. I had never heard of chankonabe, so did not get to try it. But it looks like a healthy meal (I had a look on the internet). The kilt I wore was a light, ripstop utility kilt so it really did help with the heat, as well as utilizing a fundoshi with it. So how did the Japanese people respond to your wearing a kilt? It would be nice to start a trend with the Japanese adopting the kilt for their very hot and humid climate. Yet I know that it is very hard for any of them to step out of the mold and try something unique or different. Your kilt is nice; great color scheme. So, how long did it take you to learn Japanese? I did manage to learn hiragana and katakana, but kanji was a brick wall. Thank you for your post!

Chankonabe is the staple of the sumo diet. So it's worth trying, if you're ever in Ryōgoku again.

The kilt is a Craig ancient. I like that it's our family tartan, as it's definitely different from the most common tartans.

Japanese people would normally react with interest to the kilt. I've had a reaction or two in public before, which is fairly rare for Japanese people, who are more likely to not want to bother other people. I feel like to many of them it's an interesting piece of foreign culture. I can't see it becoming too much of a trend over there, though, as they feel strongly connected to their own culture.

As far as learning Japanese. I have a university degree in Japanese Studies, so that's where a lot of my Japanese comes from.