Short answer: decide first whether you want hakama pants to wear every day or a hakama to train in. Everyday hakama pants cost about $20 to $60 online, or around ¥33,000 for a pair made in Japan, and come in normal S to XL sizes. A training hakama for kendo, aikido or iaido costs about $84 to $200, and a specialist one has the stiff back board and long ties the everyday pairs leave out.
We sell everyday hakama pants, so this guide is written by a seller. It names the other shops worth looking at, with the prices on their own pages on 29 September 2026, and says plainly where we are not the right choice.
The hakama figures here come from our Japanese clothing price survey, which compares 837 listings across 15 stores.
Everyday hakama pants or a dojo hakama?
The two look alike in a photo. They are built for different jobs.
| Everyday hakama pants | Dojo hakama | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is for | Street, work, travel, a night out | Kendo, aikido, iaido, kyudo |
| How it closes | Elastic back, belt or short ties | Long front and back straps wrapped round the waist |
| Back board (koshiita) | No | Yes, stiffened |
| Pleats | Pressed or sewn, number varies | Seven, five at the front and two at the back |
| Sizing | XS to XL, or one size | By leg length (himo-shita) and height |
| Typical price | $20 to $60 | $84 to $200 and up |
If your dojo has a dress code, buy a dojo hakama. Everything else is a question of cut and fabric.
Where to buy everyday hakama pants
Prices below are the lowest listed price for one pair, in US dollars, checked on each shop's product page on 29 September 2026.
| Shop | Pair | Fabric | Sizes | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaji | Seven pairs, wrap-front, belted and wide pleated | Cotton, 80/20 polyester-cotton or polyester | XS to XL or one size | $34.90 to $49.90 |
| Eiyo Kimono | Cotton Hakama Pants, cropped, black, navy or white | 100% cotton | Asian L to 4XL (size up 1 to 2) | $59.90 |
| Techwear Official | Techwear Cotton Hakama Pants | Cotton | M to 5XL | $59.99 |
| Marlow Reed | Hakama Cotton Pants | Cotton | XS to 3XL | $59.99 |
| IKIJI | Cotton Hakama Pants, made in Japan | 100% cotton chino | S to XL (Japanese sizing) | ¥33,000 |
IKIJI is the one to pick if you want a pair made in Japan and the budget allows. For a cotton pair under $60, the three cotton pairs from Eiyo Kimono, Techwear Official and Marlow Reed sit within a dime of each other. Compare the size charts before you choose. Ours start at $34.90.
What our seven pairs are
All seven are black. Each product page has a size chart in centimetres taken from the manufacturer's own flat measurements, and how we measure explains the method.
- Cheapest: the Pleated Samurai Hakama Pants and Kendo Samurai Pants, $34.90, polyester, XS to XL.
- Cotton: the Dark Cotton Hakama Pants, $39.90, a wrap panel over a wide leg with long side ties and an elastic back.
- Belted: the Belted A-Line Hakama Pants and Belted Hakama Trousers, $39.90, 80% polyester and 20% cotton, one size.
- Widest: the Wide Pleated Japanese Hakama Pants, $49.90, same fabric, one size.
- Pleated style: the Pleated Hakama Style Pants, $39.90, one size.
Across the range the size charts give a hem of 87 to 138 cm, and the length runs 89 to 99 cm. Our models are 187 to 189 cm tall. Shipping is free over $45 to 32 countries, and you have 30 days from delivery to return a pair.
Where to buy a dojo hakama
We do not sell training hakama, and a fashion pair will not pass most dojo dress codes. Buy one from a shop that makes them for training.
- KimuraKami sells a heavyweight 100% cotton martial arts hakama for $83.99, or $129.99 with a keikogi jacket, in US sizes 2XS to 2XL.
- Tozando in Kyoto ships worldwide. The Take Deluxe cotton aikido hakama lists at $186.70 to $199.74, and the bleached cotton kendo hakama at $200.
- Ask your sensei first. Many dojos buy as a group, and colour and fabric are often set by grade.
A dojo hakama is sized by the himo-shita, the length from the waist ties to the hem. Measure from your hip bone to the top of your foot and compare it to the shop's chart.
How to choose a pair
- Fabric. Cotton breathes and softens with washing. Polyester blends hold their pleats and dry fast.
- Waist. Elastic backs are the easiest to wear every day. Long ties look most like the original but take a minute to do up.
- Length. Everyday pairs are cut to end at the ankle or just above. If you are over 185 cm, check the length on the size chart before you buy.
- Sizing. One-size pairs rely on ties or a belt to fit. If you are outside the usual range, a sized pair is the safer choice.
For the difference between hakama and harem pants, read hakama vs harem pants. For the history and the names, what samurai pants are called covers the two forms and the seven pleats.
Further reading
The Wikipedia entry on hakama covers the history and the formal types. The r/aikido thread on where to buy hakama has practitioners' own recommendations for training pairs.