Rent Your Graduation Hakama: When to Book, What It Costs, How the Day Runs
These days almost everyone rents the hakama (pleated skirt-trousers) they wear to their graduation ceremony. The question is timing. For a ceremony in March, the popular colours and patterns start going from autumn.
Book in autumn, by year end at the latest
If you want a real choice, October to December is best. From January the options thin out. HANAYAKA’s nishaku-sode (short-sleeved kimono) hakama plan is ¥18,500 (tax included), and the stylish lace Taisho Roman hakama is ¥15,500 (tax included). Both include hair styling and hair ornaments.
How the day runs
Dressing and hair styling take 40 to 60 minutes. Work back from the start of your ceremony and come in accordingly. Early arrival can be arranged (8am hour, +¥2,200 per person). Going straight on to commemorative photos in Asakusa after the ceremony is popular too. An online booking is the safe way to hold your date and time.
How to think about colour and pattern so you do not regret it
With hakama, the impression comes from the combination of the top (kimono) and the bottom (hakama). The safe classic is a showy top with a dark bottom to anchor it, for example a white or lace kimono with a deep green or crimson hakama. If you do not want to disappear in the photos, make the brightness difference between top and bottom clear.
The lace Taisho Roman hakama (¥15,500) has been popular for years now. It sits between classic and current, so it does not look out of place at the ceremony but definitely catches the eye in photos. See what they actually look like in the gallery.
A real timeline for graduation day
Working back from a 10:00 ceremony. 7:30 arrive (early opening, +¥3,300), 8:30 dressing and hair styling done, 9:00 head to the venue, after the ceremony come back to Asakusa for photos with friends, return by 18:00 (or next-day return, +¥2,200).
The point is to plan for after the ceremony as well. You do not get many chances in life to be photographed in hakama. Design the whole day, including the walk around Asakusa and the photos afterwards, and it feels completely different.
Answers to the usual worries
“What about the toilet?” A hakama is shaped like a skirt, so it is actually easier than a kimono. Our staff will run through the steps when we dress you. “Is it hard to walk in?” With boots it feels much the same as normal. More people choose boots over zori these days. “What if it comes loose?” Drop by the shop during opening hours and we will fix it.
Hakama and kimono plan prices (tax, dressing and hair styling included)
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Taisho Roman hakama | ¥15,500 |
| Lace kimono | ¥11,000 |
| Value couple kimono plan | ¥13,200 |
| Girls’ Shichi-Go-San kimono | ¥8,800 |
| Boys’ Shichi-Go-San kimono | ¥8,800 |
| Premium homongi | ¥17,500 |
| Taisho Roman kimono | ¥8,800 |
| Nishaku-sode hakama | ¥18,500 |
| Lace Taisho Roman hakama | ¥15,500 |
| Komon kimono | ¥7,700 |
| Nishaku-sode kimono | ¥14,000 |
*Tax included. Prices correct as of the date of this article; see pricing plans for the latest.
Frequently asked questions
- Q. Can you dress me early in the morning on graduation day?
- Please ask. We open early for +¥2,200 per person in the 8am hour and +¥3,300 in the 7am hour.
- Q. Do I need to bring my own hair ornaments for the hakama?
- Hair ornaments are included in the plan. You are also welcome to bring your own.
- Q. Can I wear boots with a hakama?
- Yes. You are welcome to bring your own boots. Lace-up boots with a lace hakama is a popular combination.
- Q. Can my mother rent a kimono too?
- Yes. A homongi (semi-formal kimono, ¥17,500) is the usual choice for mothers. If she is joining, please note the number of people in the remarks field.
- Q. Is it difficult to travel to the venue in a hakama?
- If you are not used to it, you can bring shoes for the journey and change at the venue. With boots, travelling by train is no problem.
Book here