One of the most popular things to do in Osaka is to embark on a day trip to Nara, where you can feed and interact with deers at the famous Nara Deer Park.
But here’s how you can take your experience to the next level — by renting a kimono or yukata.
Waplus, a kimono rental store at Nara, is the most convenient one available — located right beside Nara Park and the train station.
Waplus’ kimono & yukata rental prices
Wa Plus charges a base fee for their yukata and kimono. You can add on hair-styling services as well as additional accessories for an extra cost.
In the summer, we recommend opting for the yukata for the lighter and thinner materials. Otherwise, you might be drenched in sweat.
For women:
- Standard Yukata — ¥3,300
- Cotton / Brand Yukata — ¥4,400
- Accessories — free for standard, +¥550 for premium
- Formal Kimino — from ¥12,000
- Hair — ¥2200
For men:
- Yukata — ¥3,300
- Kimono — ¥3,850
Kimono Insurance — is there a need?
After you’ve put on the kimono or yukata, the staff will ask if you’d like to purchase an insurance for your rented clothes.
Kimono Insurance ensures that you will not be charged additional fees if your kimono or yukata is dirty or faces any repairable damage.
If you’re planning to interact and feed the deers, we recommend topping up ¥550 for a Kimono Insurance. But, if you’re just taking photos around the area, you might not need it.
During our Nara Deer Park visit, our yukata was gnawed at and stepped on by the deer. If you’ve heard stories, you’d know that getting a bit of soil and mud on your clothes is inevitable. Hence, for a peace of mind, we recommend getting the Kimono Insurance.
How long did we spend choosing and wearing our yukata?
We made a reservation for their earliest slot — right when they open shop.
Without any other customers in the shop, I (man) spent 10-15 minutes choosing and donning my yukata. Meanwhile, my colleague (female) took 30-45 minutes. Expect an additional 10-15 minutes for the hair set-up.
What was the process like?
It’s really simple to be honest.
- Choose your yukata / kimono
- Choose your belt (for women, you’ll also be able to choose an accessory)
- Choose your bag (men’s bags are the standard traditional pouches in different colour and patterns. Meanwhile, women’s bags come in more modern designs)
When’s the best time to visit Nara Park?
Interestingly, the deer are aware of when to come out for snacks!
They would appear in various parts of the park and cultural sites such as Todaiji Shrine and Todaiji Musuem from 7am. At 3-4pm, they’d start dispersing. At 4:30pm, there was almost no deers at the grass patch beside the Bus Terminal.
How much are the deer biscuits and where to buy them?
The deer biscuits cost ¥200 for a stack of ten. There are stores almost everywhere, including one at the underpass exit at Nara Deer Park, and two at the entrance of Todaiji Shrine.
Location: Japan, 〒630-8246 Nara, Aburasaka Jikatacho, 6−4 京ろまんビル ２F
Opening hours: 9am-6pm (closed on Friday)
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