Probably one of the most touching things that ever happened to me was when I was in Japan.
See, there was a festival where it was customary to wear a yukata, which is like a summer version of a kimono. So I bought one with cute cats on it and a matching fan.
One problem, though — the obi.
The obi is a long strip of cloth that is supposed to be wrapped around the waist and tied very specifically into a neat bow. However, me, my mom, my sister, and a YouTube video couldn’t figure it out.
Not only was the obi in the front (it’s supposed to be tied in the back), but it was tied so loosely that the lower part of my yukata was fully showing my clothes underneath. It looked more like a robe than an actual garment.
After the festival, with my feet aching and feeling like I disgraced the entirety of Japanese culture, I waited for the bus to take me home.
Suddenly, an old Japanese woman motions for me to come to her, and she proceeds to try and fix my obi. Once she sees it’s beyond fixing, she takes it completely off and starts to fold the front of my yukata correctly, then wraps the obi tightly and neatly around my waist, tying it in the back.
It was like she had done it for decades, which honestly, she probably had.
After me and my family profusely thanked her, she just waved her hand and said in Japanese “It was fun!” and left.
I still remember her, and even though it probably got a lot of weird looks in the middle of a train station, I’m so grateful to her. I almost didn’t want to take it off that night.
Here’s the before and after:
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