The best sellers in February were:
1) Dragon & Mt. Fuji Yukata – Blue
2) Navy Kagome Yukata
3) Wave Yukata
4) Dragon Yukata
5) Great Wave – Purple
Thank you to all of our wonderful customers. We hope you enjoy your Japanese Yukata.
Posts Tagged ‘japanese kimono’
TOP FIVE SELLERS IN FEBRUARY
Tuesday, March 16th, 2021January Best Selling Kimono and Yukata.
Friday, February 5th, 2021Top 5 Sellers for January, 2021.
1) Dragon and Bamboo Yukata
2) Great Wave Yukata (Purple)
3) Navy Longevity Yukata
4) Tree of Life Yukata
5) Navy Dragon Yukata
Top Five Best Sellers for January.
New Shipment of Kimono and Yukata Arrived!
Monday, January 18th, 2021Chopa strives to have a full offering of Japanese Kimono and Yukata at all times, but with sudden surges in sales related to Holiday Gifts, a mention in social media or a large bulk order, we experience shortages from time to time. We like to be busy and shipping hundreds and hundreds of robes, but we dislike running out and work hard to alleviate the dreaded “Out of Stock” notation on any particular style.
The good news is that a new shipment, the first of the year, just arrived and we are pleased to announce that over 25 sizes and colors are back in stock and ready to ship. Among the list of new arrivals are the Men’s Kagome yukata, the ever popular “Dragon” yukata, Tree of Life, Daimonji Kimono, Royal Cranes, Ukiyoe, Dragon and Tiger, Cherry Blossoms, and Ribbons Kimono.
Some styles are offered in five different sizes and those are back in stock. This is just the first of many more shipments scheduled over the year. We generally receive new inventory monthly along with several large shipments in the Spring, Summer and Fall. It has been more difficult scheduling over the past 6 months due to Covid restrictions throughout Japan. Production has slowed and in many situations, our producers are working with smaller staffs for social distancing and to allow others to work from home.
We welcome inquiries on any pattern or style of kimono or yukata we offer. If you don’t see a size in stock, email us and we can let you know when we expect more to arrive. Chopa offers a free email notification service to anyone. When a particular size or style is available, we send you a courtesy email alerting you of the news. There is never an obligation to make a purchase and we will only send you one email. It’s a free service and we are happy to monitor upcoming shipments for you.
Happy Shopping!
Fresh Kimono and Yukata.
December Top Selling Kimono and Yukata Robes
Monday, January 11th, 2021December is always a busy month at Chopa Zen Home. Our large selection of Japanese Kimono and Yukata are popular gifts and we experience a substantial surge in business each year. We wish to thank all of our customers for their loyalty and patronage in December and throughout the 2020 year. Here is to a bright and healthy 2021. Happy New Year to all.
Top 5 Sellers in December 2020:
(1) Black – Zen and Martial Arts Yukata
(2) Blue Koi Yukata
(3) Navy Dragon & Mt Fuji Yukata
(4) Tree of Life Yukata
(5) Navy Kagome Yukata
Shopping for a Kimono?
Monday, March 11th, 2019A common question we receive from customers shopping for a kimono robe is about the safety of purchasing one from an overseas vendor.
If you reside in the USA, we always recommend buying one from a reputable USA vendor. In our experience there are many risks involved beyond cyber security and the protection of your personal and credit card information. Credibility and customer service are at the top of our list to provide easy and smooth customer transactions. The most common complaint we hear with overseas dealers is the return process. With time zone changes, it can be difficult and expensive to call an overseas retailer. Other complaints include language language translation issues, receiving a kimono that is different from what they advertised, and the costs associated with returns. It is common for customers to pay for return shipping, but returning a kimono or yukata robe to Japan or China can be 4-6 times what a package costs in the USA.
It is easy to check online for estimated shipping costs to Japan. Shipping costs for a 1 or 2 pound package, can range from $25 – $50 with added insurance and delivery receipts. In addition, there are usually a plethora of restrictions about returns overseas including timelines, reasons and whether a full refund will be granted. We have witnessed various overseas vendors’ policies including 30-40% restocking fees, additional surcharges on handling and worse yet, denials or refusals to accept returns because of creases or missing the deadline by a couple of days, even if it was the fault of the carrier or customs delays.
Customers have voiced frustration about currency conversions with PayPal or their credit card provider and there is little if anything that can be done to rectify these situations. Some vendors don’t accept returns if you have tried on the robe. Can you imagine? Trying on a robe voids their return policy? We don’t believe there is any store in any mall that would survive if they didn’t allow customers to try on clothing before they buy. Another vendor denies returns because “you didn’t like the fabric”.
Shopping online, sight unseen always has some degree of risk, but working with a reputable retailer eliminates most of these problems. Chopa.com has been a USA based online retailer for 25 years. We import our kimono and yukata robes directly and eliminate these unnecessary risks. We offer fast shipping, easy returns and have many repeat customers which proves the shopping experience and quality of the robe meets or exceeds their expectations. Happy Shopping.
Beautiful Japanese Kimono
Three Ways Yoga Can Improve Your Relationship
Tuesday, August 18th, 2015If you’re wondering how you can improve your relationship with your partner, here are some tips to start now. If you already have a loving relationship, these principles can help maintain the magnitude of a loving relationship by allowing growth on many levels. So get your partner & begin today.
1. Principles to Reinforce Your Partnership
The first of Patanjali’s eight limbs of yoga are the Yamas. These encompass universal morality and respect for all living things, or Ahimsa (non violence). This means that kindness and friendliness should be exhibited in all situations dealing with living beings. Kindness is contagious, and if you’re able to treat complete strangers with empathy and respect, it will be that much easier to do the same with your partner.
Deceit and lies are two common elements of bad marriages and relationships. They’re detrimental in broken relationships and have the potential to shatter the love. Satya refers to speaking the truth as long as it does not hurt someone. When combined with Ahimsa, honesty trumps deliberate deception. For instance, telling your partner about an extra-marital affair would be extremely hurtful, but carrying on a fake relationship is harmful to all, including the third party individual.
Aparigraha is the Yamas principle that encourages divestment of materialism. Hoarding wealth beyond what you and your family need implies a self-centeredness that is inherently detrimental to relationships. Buy a homeless person a meal if you can afford it or help someone in need. Furthermore, gifts for your partner should be about the thought as opposed to the long-term value. For example, buying flowers or treating your partner to his or her favorite meals create lasting memories without the acquisition of material things.
2. Sexual Vitality
A 2013 study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science found that participants in long-term relationships were motivated to have an intimate relationship because it was important to their partner. In other words, people will be intimate even when they don’t want to if it makes their significant other happy. Granted, waiting in the beginning of a relationship can help to strengthen emotional bonds and commitment to one another, but a major challenge in long-term relationships is keeping everything interesting and fresh. And that’s where yoga comes into play.
A 2010 study published by the Harvard Medical School found that women experienced more pleasure and arousal after 12 weeks of yoga practice. Psychology Today cited a study from a yoga camp that found men ages 24 to 60 experience similar benefits after several yoga sessions. A yoga date every week can only improve your relationship it seems!
3. Shape Up
A study by yogi Alan Kristal and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that people who did one yoga session per week for four years lost five pounds versus the non-yogis who gained 14 pounds. Kristal credited yoga’s mind-body principles, which helped change the participants’ relationship with food and eating. Yoga also can help you quit smoking and get better sleep at night. Both will promote healthier looking skin, whiter smiles and positive emotions; all of which will help build your confidence in relationships.
Yoga connects you with the truths of the here and now. Likewise the focus of healthy relationships is the present, not the past or future. Incorporating yoga into your regular life ensures beautiful memories with your partner and promotes a future of love and commitment. And all of us can use love as a catalyst for growth on many levels.
Isn’t to day a good day to begin? Let yoga make Love!
~Brian Wilkins
5 tips to refresh your commitment to yoga
Thursday, March 5th, 2015Time to move on – not away from yoga
You have trained long and hard, practiced diligently and now you have doubts – about yourself, your teaching and commitment. What is happening?
The answer is: you are practicing yoga. Self-inquiry
, reflection and doubting your intentions are the manifestation of a deeper relationship, that can withstand and flourish through inquiry and emotional turmoil.Compare your relationship with yoga with other meaningful relationships that endure through change and even conflict. If they are strong, they will develop and strengthen. Yes, flaws may be revealed and that relationship may change, but the underlying love will endure and prove richer in the long-term.
The answer is: you are practicing yoga. Self-inquiry
, reflection and doubting your intentions are the manifestation of a deeper relationship, that can withstand and flourish through inquiry and emotional turmoil.Compare your relationship with yoga with other meaningful relationships that endure through change and even conflict. If they are strong, they will develop and strengthen. Yes, flaws may be revealed and that relationship may change, but the underlying love will endure and prove richer in the long-term.
Where, when and how you discover yoga will determine the start of your journey. This may be a route that takes us into a practice, or even teacher training that requires commitment to a certain style that later in life, may not nourish and support your growth. An acceptance and even ultimately a rejection of a particular school of yoga is neither a reflection on the practice, but merely an acknowledgement that it is time to move on. The body and mind evolves during our journey through life. Yoga may keep us flexible, strong and active in the physical body, but our aims may change, as we recognize and nurture other areas of our practice.
Physical injury, health concerns and natural aging also determine the suitability of any practice and may mean changing or adapting your practice. One of the many comforts in yoga is that there is always something that you can do – either softening your practice until recovery allows you to return to your previous choice, or moving into different areas such as pranayama or meditation.How do you move forward?
• Firstly, it is important to accept and be open to change. Drawing back and observing your intentions may at first contribute to feelings of loss and even anger. To ‘let go’ of a rigid practice can also cause feelings of guilt as you release yourself of the commitment and possibly regular practice that has become part of the pattern of your daily life.
• Firstly, it is important to accept and be open to change. Drawing back and observing your intentions may at first contribute to feelings of loss and even anger. To ‘let go’ of a rigid practice can also cause feelings of guilt as you release yourself of the commitment and possibly regular practice that has become part of the pattern of your daily life.
• Remember, you are only recognizing changes in yourself. Recall how well the practice suited you in the past – what you have learnt and how it has supported you. Let go of guilt and be thankful for the experience.• Have a break and encourage the body and mind to rest and find the space for observation, inquiry and introduction to other aspects or styles of yoga. This may even result in a refreshed interest and commitment in your previous practice.
• Talk to your teacher and other students. You will discover that these doubts and feelings are not unusual. Your teacher may suggest other classes or training that will support your growth. If this is ‘farewell’, a respectful parting will prevent any bad feelings.
• Observe other areas of your life and how they may be contributing to your confusion. It can be tempting to use yoga as a crutch to support other areas of life that are out of control, or even to be disappointed in yoga no longer gives you the feelings of strength, stability and calm that it provided when you first started.
• Do not rush! Any decision should be taken slowly and calmly. Remember how long it took to develop your practice and how it has helped you develop.
It may be time to move on, but that does not mean moving out! And if you decide to take a break – yoga will be there waiting patiently to welcome you back – no questions asked.
By: Wendy Jacob
Chopa Zen Home and Gift Receives 2014 Best of Panama City Beach Award
Thursday, June 12th, 2014Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chopa Zen Home and Gift Receives 2014 Best of Panama City Beach Award
Panama City Beach Award Program Honors the Achievement
PANAMA CITY BEACH April 24, 2014 — Chopa Zen Home and Gift has been selected for the 2014 Best of Panama City Beach Award in the Online Retailer category by the Panama City Beach Award Program.
Each year, the Panama City Beach Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Panama City Beach area a great place to live, work and play.
Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2014 Panama City Beach Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Panama City Beach Award Program and data provided by third parties.
About Panama City Beach Award Program
The Panama City Beach Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Panama City Beach area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.
The Panama City Beach Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community’s contributions to the U.S. economy.
SOURCE: Panama City Beach Award Program
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Best online Retailer Award
Slip into something more comfortable with this Blue Carp Koi Yukata Robe!
Monday, February 22nd, 2010
Blue Koi Yukata Robe
Transform your downtime with this sumptuous Blue Carp Koi Yukata Robe. A lighter-weight cotton version of a traditional Japanese kimono, the Yukata is still widely used in Japan. These summer kimonos are worn by both men and women, but linen “yukatabira” were originally draped around court noblemen after bathing. They didn’t gain popularity with the general public until people started wearing them in Japanese public bathhouses. Today, they are worn quite regularly at Japanese festivals and ryokan, or simply as loungewear.
This Blue Carp Koi Yukata is emblazoned with a legendary symbol of perseverance and strength. According to Japanese legend, a koi fish will generally swim upstream until it reaches the final waterfall, where it vaults itself into the mists and emerges as a water dragon. This is how the koi became emblematic of purposeful determination in the face of adversity, and today it still stands for superior courage.
Also known as a wild carp, many Japanese families keep koi in a garden pond at their home to bring them good fortune or luck. As a result, koi enjoy an elevated status throughout Asia and have become a popular theme for tattoos. It is the koi’s association with worldly aspiration and advancement that make them such a highly regarded symbol of success. Some koi are bred for their spectacular colors, which range from silver and gold to orange, black, yellow and even calico, making them appear like swimming jewels.
Celebrate the beauty and magic of the legendary koi with this Blue Carp Koi Yukata Robe. Its navy blue and white pattern makes an elegant statement in crisp 100% cotton. Made in Japan, this robe is available in three sizes (XL, XXL and XXXL) and includes a matching belt.
A Black Japanese Shogun Kimono – A Gift Fit for Royalty
Monday, December 7th, 2009
What man or woman needs a Japanese Kimono for the holidays? Everyone knows someone who should be wearing this gorgeous, regal looking Japanese robe. Not just any kimono, the Black Shogun Kimono is made for a person who should have been born into nobility. You know the type: always in command of every situation, a veritable dynamo in all aspects of life.
This obsidian black kimono is accented all over with the Japanese calligraphy symbols for “shōgun” in red and gold, and comes with a matching belt. It can be worn on lazy weekend mornings as a robe, or as a cover-up at the pool. For that person in your life who has everything, this robe will be appreciated for its uniqueness and versatility.
In Japanese culture, the symbol for a shōgun refers to a “general who can fight off barbarians”, and is also known as a warlord or “generalissimo” – the highest military rank in the Japanese armed forces. While the title shogun is no longer used today, it recalls an important time in Japanese history.
Calligraphic symbols are often used in Japanese fabric design because in Zen culture, they are akin to art. In fact, all Japanese calligraphy was influenced by masters of Zen thought. This is because a calligrapher has only one chance to create a symbol with a brush. Fluid execution requires extreme concentration for a brief moment in time, which requires the master to clear his mind and let the letters flow out effortlessly. Known as the “no mind state”, this practice is based on the spiritual principles of Zen Buddhism.
When one wears this Black Shogun Kimono, they are not only the master of their physical plane; they are also connected to the spiritual world of Zen calligraphy. The classic style of this Japanese-made robe fits comfortably on a 5’10” – 6’1” frame, and has extra-long sleeves. It makes a dramatic statement and a luxurious gift.
