Inclusivity and representation starts with making sure that your products and services don’t ignore obvious customer needs. That’s why we love this hijab range by Japanese kimono rental shop Yumeyakata.
Based in Kyoto, Yumeyakata provides tourists and locals with kimonos so they can pose for photos, sightsee or attend formal events in the traditional Japanese garment.
The number of Muslims coming to Japan on holidays has recently increased. Travellers from Indonesia, the largest muslim country in the world, represented 360,000 visitors in 2017, up from 80,000 in 2010. In total, they spent USD 7.5 billion on their Japanase holidays, including on kimono rentals in shops like Yumeyakata.
The store quickly identified a fashion issue for its female Muslim customers: their hijabs clashed with the traditional Japanese prints. So Yumeyakata created a range of designs in wagara patterns. Twenty options are available for spring 2019, including sakura (cherry blossom) and yukiwa (snow ring) with 50 more being released for summer.