Where to Buy Kimono and Yukata for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto)

Last Updated on September 7, 2024 by Kay

Wondering where you can buy traditional Japanese clothing for babies, toddlers, and kids in Japan? I’ve got you covered.

As a parent living in Japan, I have shopped at various stores over the years for different types of Japanese traditional clothes for my daughter.

In this article, I’ll share information about kimono, yukata, and jinbei for children in Japan and the places you can find them throughout the country, particularly in Tokyo and Osaka.

Kimono for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids

When it comes to traditional kimono, you would be hard-pressed to find any stores selling ones specifically for babies. (So short answer, there are no stores in Japan that sell kimono for babies.)

However, there are kimono-like clothing for babies and toddlers. These are usually cotton rompers, making them easy for young children to wear, not to mention you can wash them in the washing machine (hang to dry).

These are easy to find in tourist shops, such as Tempozan Marketplace in Osaka, Kyoto Handicraft Center, as well as major children’s stores across Japan like Nishimatsuya, Akachan Honpo, and Babies R Us. They’re also sold on Amazon Japan.

For toddlers and children, a kimono is usually only worn during Shichi-go-san, a special celebration for children held the year they turn three (called san in Japanese), five (go), and seven (shichi).

Parents tend to rent their child’s kimono for this occasion from photo studios. However, you can also purchase them from kimono stores such as Kimono Yamato, which has branches throughout Japan, or on Amazon Japan.

My recommendation for the easiest-to-reach Kimono Yamato store in Tokyo is their Sunshine City branch in Ikebukuro.

My favorite, high-quality kimono-like rompers are by Sweet Mommy. They look absolutely beautiful and would make a great gift if you know someone who has a young child. Of course, I bought one of their rompers for my daughter and she was able to wear it from when she was six months up until she turned around 2.5 years old.

There’s a Sweet Mommy store in Shibuya, Tokyo near Ebisu Station so definitely check it out. They have an online shop as well.

Yukata and Jinbei for Babies, Toddlers, and Kids

When it comes to traditional Japanese clothes, kids are most likely to wear yukata and jinbei.

Yukata are like a summer kimono but much simpler, made of linen or cotton, and more casual. Although both boys and girls can wear yukata, you’re more likely to find yukata for girls sold in stores rather than for boys.

Yukata are on sale during summer (around June to September) at almost all of the stores I mention in this article on where to buy kids’ clothes in Japan. My favorite place to get yukata for my daughter is Nishimatsuya because it’s the most affordable and they carry cute hair accessories too.

As far as I know, there are no yukata for babies.

Jinbei is also a type of Japanese traditional clothing that’s worn during summer. It consists of two pieces, a top that ties at the side and shorts.

If you want to buy summer clothing for a baby or toddler, jinbei is a great choice. It’s comfortable and they have sizes starting from newborn. My daughter wore jinbei when she was a month old and even now, it’s her favorite thing to wear to summer festivals in Japan. Note that jinbei for babies consists of one piece rather than two.

My daughter’s jinbei in the photo above is from MIKI HOUSE.

Jinbei is worn by both girls and boys. Similar to yukata, you can find these for sale during summer at stores for kids in Japan. I’ve also seen these for sale at shops in tourist hotspots in Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo, so you’ll likely come across them at some point, especially during summer.

Japanese Kids’ Clothing Sizes

Clothing sizes for kids are measured according to height and weight rather than age. Here is a size chart that I made to help you get an idea of what to expect for babies and toddlers:

And here is a clothing chart for kids:

The sizing is pretty straightforward. If your child is 96 cm tall, then you should buy them something in size 100. If they’re close to the max height in a range, you might want to get them something a size up. My daughter is 103 cm tall and she still fits into size 100 clothes, but she also sometimes wears size 110.

Just like what I experienced with North American children’s clothing brands like Carters and H&M, the size might vary depending on the brand. For instance, some size 110 dresses fit my daughter perfectly, but the jinbei I got her in size 110 is too big at the moment.

Kids grow into clothes, though, so it’s always better to get a larger size than a smaller size if you’re ever unsure.