Things I didn't try early on: Wearing any kind of traditional clothing

I remember how intimidating traditional Japanese clothing felt when I first started living here. I admired how things like kimono and yukata looked, but they also felt impossibly complicated. There were rules I didn't understand, and I probably had a level of fear of standing out for the wrong reasons. I told myself it was better to admire them from a distance.

I think a big part of that hesitation came from outside Japan. In some parts of the world, wearing traditional clothing from another culture can be framed as cultural appropriation, even when intentions are good, and that idea sat heavily with me. I didn't want to offend anyone or look like I was treating something meaningful as a costume. Over time though, I slowly challenged that!

The first crack came at a summer festival a few years in, when a local friend casually asked why I wasn't wearing a yukata. Not a "you shouldn't," and not a "that's not for you," but genuine surprise that I hadn't tried.

What I began to notice was that here, traditional clothing is often seen as something to be shared, not protected behind glass. Festivals, ceremonies, and seasonal events are living traditions, and people seem genuinely happy when others want to take part respectfully!