On Friday, September 24, 2010, the "Yukata Donning Workshop" was held at Japanese Culture Salon "Jinbun Gashu – Masudaya" in Shanghai, which was attended by some 40 participants who were mostly young Chinese and Japanese women.

At the opening, Professor Isako Nomiyama of Otsuma Women's University Junior College Division gave a talk on the history and culture of kimono through interpreter Shaoyang, owner of "Jinbun Gashu – Masudaya". Then teachers and TAs (students) helped participants actually don yukata, men and women separately, as they watched a Chinese-language DVD on how to wear the traditional robe. Women had to be split into two groups (first session and second session) to accommodate a far bigger crowd size than men. Having put yukata on, participants took a stroll in nearby Lu Xun Park taking photos of each other, and tremendously enjoyed the experience of being dressed in the garb.

The event was held against the backdrop of a gradually straining China-Japan relationship, but there was not the slightest hint of such strain and the event turned into a merry workshop brimming with smiles. The organizers all heaved a sigh of relief.

This workshop was conducted as part of a joint research project on clothing and culture entitled "Developing an Educational Program for Passing on and Showcasing the Kimono Culture: Hands-On Learning and Global Sharing of Donning Kimono," endorsed by Bunka Women's College Culture & Fashion Research Institute. The Bunka Women's College Culture & Fashion Research Institute received designation as a "Joint Research Center on Clothing Culture" by the Ministry of Education & Science, which commissioned the study under "The Project to Promote Implementation of Joint Research Centers in Humanities and Social Sciences."

This workshop was made possible by the sponsorship of Associate Professor Yayoi Satsumoto of the Faculty of Education and Human Sciences, Professor Isako Nomiyama of Otsuma Women's Junior College, Professor Hideko Saito of Yamanashi Prefectural University and Professor Hiroko Kawabata of Saitama University, joint sponsorship of Japanese Culture Salon "Jinbun Gashu: Masudaya", and support from the PR Cultural Center of the Consulate General of Japan -Shanghai, Bunka Woman's College Culture & Fashion Research Institute, Otsuma Women's College, Yamanashi Prefectural University Area Studies Exchange Center and YNU.