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Mr. Sato dons full pilgrim fashion to escape the summer heat

Master Blaster Aug 10, 2024
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Let’s take it back to ’79… 1879.

When we last left Mr. Sato in search of summer relief, he had rediscovered the joy of traditional straw hats to keep his cranium cool. It made him realize that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it… except in this case where forgetting it makes you doomed not to repeat it.

Perhaps it’s better to say that: “Forgetting history makes you doomed to repeat the bad stuff while also dooming you to not repeat the good stuff at the same time.” This more accurate but less catchy proverb led Mr. Sato to search out more summer fashion secrets from Japan’s past.

He began by seeking out a rickshaw driver in Tokyo because they typically dress in classical fare to help set the mood while also spending a lot of time in the blazing heat during the summer months when tourism is peaking.

However, his rickshaw driver was blunt in telling him that the clothing they wear really doesn’t help all that much with the heat but recommended a shop to buy the stuff if Mr. Sato wanted to try anyway.

▼ Hantenya on Hisago Dori in Asakusa

In the end, he bought a koiguchi shirt for 9,800 yen (US$67) and a pair of dabo-gi pants for 4,300 yen. It wasn’t what his rickshaw driver had on, but since that guy said he suffers quite a bit anyway, our writer decided to go with his gut on this one.

▼ Koiguchi (left), Dabo-gi pants (right)

After all, Mr. Sato wasn’t planning on hauling people in a cart through the sultry asphalt of downtown Tokyo. There was a good chance these garments would do just fine for a casual stroll.

He gathered all the pieces of his ensemble starting with the koiguchi on top, with no undergarments. This was a gamble since the rickshaw driver explicitly said that sweat tends to make the koiguchi really clingy, but Mr. Sato has always been about taking risks and living on the edge.

That being said, he knew the importance of being prepared for risks and packed an extra pair of pants. This is because if his pants get soaked with sweat, the thin, white material would easily become see-through, opening our reporter up to criminal charges. Luckily, he had his udon/soba vending machine tote bag to carry a change of clothes in while keeping with the traditional style of the outfit.

▼ The bag was also handy for him to tie his ajirogasa straw hat to when not in use.

It’s always important to bring a towel with you and Mr. Sato selected a traditional one that dates back to 2017, when his favorite metal band Ningen Isu went on tour.

With that, our writer was ready to hit the hot streets and try his luck with classical heat prevention.

He took two steps into the scorching afternoon sun, quickly spun on his heels, and raced back inside. It wasn’t because he was hot though…

▼ “Almost forgot this.”

He had just forgotten his prayer beads. It just felt right with this clothing often used by pilgrims and besides, you kind of do have to pray to survive this weather.

And so, our intrepid reporter made his way out into the world, facing both the elements and judgmental stares of others.

The mighty lion surrounded by peonies on his back exuded the yin and yang of Mr. Sato’s masculine and feminine sides.

It reminded him of the song “Karajishibotan” (“Chinese Lion and Peonies”) which opens with the lyric, “If you weigh a sense of duty against human emotion, duty is heavier in this man’s world. My old friend Kannon knows my heart. On my back, the Chinese lion and the peonies roar…”

That’s exactly how Mr. Sato felt. He was honor-bound to see if this clothing would provide a respite from the relentless summer heat while also fighting the human emotion to run back home before everyone laughed at him. The old guy stretching his knee off to the side knew Mr. Sato’s heart. On his back, the Chinese lion and peonies meowed…

He plotted a walking route that would take about 26 minutes because anything longer than 30 would run the risk of heatstroke.

After completing his route, Mr. Sato felt that the cotton fabric of both the shirt and pants was very soft and smooth to the touch, making it extremely comfortable. It was also very airy and would be well suited for a mountain or breezy evening, but as the rickshaw driver had warned him, the thicker shirt absorbed sweat easily and gradually became very damp in the hot city. Luckily, because it was so thick, it didn’t become see-through from the wetness.

As for the pants, they were thin and loose enough that clinging from sweat wasn’t an issue. Their only weak point was the design of the front pocket which made it hard for him to pull his smartphone out of easily.

In the end, these clothes would probably work really well in an environment with even a bit of wind, but they failed to reach their full potential in the stagnant humidity of urban Tokyo.

After reaching this conclusion, Mr. Sato thought he would try injecting some modern tech too. He took out his trusty vest with built-in Peltier thermoelectric cooling plates and put it on top.

The effect was surprisingly good! The temperature of the sweat-soaked shirt was quickly lowered by the vest and felt downright brisk. The only downside was that it covered up the lion and peonies on his back, but they would always burn bright in his heart.

It just goes to show that those who forget the present are doomed to miss out on that good stuff too, so you know… try not to forget anything ever.

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