Returning from a visit to Kamakura I board the train at a small local station. Together with Judy, my sister-in-law, I return to Kamakura, thence to Yokohama and on to Nakamachidai.

From the moment we board our first train, we are struck by the number of women who are wearing kimonos, the traditional robe that Japanese women wear with an elaborate arrangement of cloth around the waist (the word “belt” does not begin to describe what we see). I have seen these throughout my visit and still we are curious to see how many women are dressed in this way. On the train to Yokohama we also see a man dressed in a yukata. To Western eyes, he looks for all the world as if he has stepped straight from his bathroom onto the train. Both men and women wear traditional wooden clogs.

The word “traditional” evokes a bygone era and could suggest to the reader that these are men and women of mature age. But no, these are young men, young women. Their traditional clothes are also worn with the accoutrements of fashion. Men and women alike sport hair gel, jewelry and mobile phones. Some have dyed hair.

Searching for a reason for the number of young men and women dressed in this way we wonder. Could it be that Friday night is kimono night in Japan?