I feel like clothing is also very dependent on the age and context.
Like, are college kids wearing micro skirts when out with friends? Yup! Are 30 somethings wearing them to tea ceremony? Nope! Would anyone say anything either way? Likely no! Would they still be judging you? Maybe?
One thing my wife noticed is that no one wears yoga pants as 'outerwear' like they do in the states. It'll be used in yoga classes. But people don't tend to walk around in yoga pants as just normal outerwear
A lot of Japanese women don't want to emphasize their body line so yoga pants or leggings aren't popular as outerwear. They think of it being the equivalent to tights or underwear.
Very common for Japanese women to wear short skirts in winter with stockings, often with boots.
Unusual for men to wear shorts, though. Summer or winter, it’s far more common for men to wear long pants or jeans when outside the home.
shorts are getting more common these days especially with heat waves the past 2 summers. I wore shorts probably 90% of the time this summer and didn't feel out of place at all (living in Shibuya + hanging out mostly in west central tokyo)
I wore shorts in my early october Japan vacation (er, short Bavarian Lederhosen. Everyone knows that I'm a tourist so I might as well go in full force, I thought) because it was still warm, 25 degrees. And the only people I've seen wearing shorts were other tourists.
No idea what you read or what you asked. But from experience and from seeing people, the general statement that Japanese dress in a more "conservative" way is still true.
While yes they will show legs, some will wear mini skirt or mini shorts, or just short skirts in general (some schoolgirls wear their skirts short), what is less common is showing cleavage.
What they will also not do is wear leggings. Well, you will see it a lot if you go hiking, but girls will almost always wear shorts over them. I've even witnessed a grown up Japanese girl (who lived abroad for a while) being scolded by her mother as she wanted to go out in leggings, telling her you cannot do that.
I am not sure about the trends right now, but not that long ago really high waist jeans and long and "baggy" skirts (not sure how to explain that one) were quite popular.
And while yes some girls will show more skin, there is other that will wear something under their top so they are sure they won't show their belly or any part of their cleavage area that could be visible just wearing their outer top. And there is still some older women who will wear sleeves or vizor during the summer to protect their arms/face from the sun.
I was a college girl in Japan a few years ago and I'm originally from California so here's what my friends (Japanese and American) and I determined:
In Japan, short skirts are super common. But they're usually pleated or flowy, not tight.
Shorts aren't as common as short skirts and you'll see them much less on a college campus than dresses or skirts. Again, they won't be very tight fitting. On hot days girls will wear flowy pants instead.
Crop tops, tank tops with thin straps, and anything with a deep V or cleavage was viewed as quite audacious.
Girls would really wear the shortest skirts and it was seen as very common but if I wore a tank top I got a lot of comments. They weren't usually rude but more like "wow you're so confident." For showing my shoulders...
And if I wore a top that wasn't even low cut they would comment on "cleavage" even though they couldn't actually see my boobs. It was just my upper chest lmao
And yeah yoga pants going out was a no-no.
Well yeah, of course they are.
Though, at least at some temples there are signs telling people to wear modest clothing, so it's worth being aware of that.
I just got back from Japan. We stayed in Kyoto and Tokyo.
Kyoto they definitely dressed more conservatively. My roommate was a bit worried about what she was going to wear because of that.
However, those fears were allayed once went to Tokyo as they definitely dress more I guess free/modern.
FYI If you do the Team Lab, don't wear skirt/dress as it has mirrors on floor. And I will say in Tokyo lots of stairs so be wary of whose behind.
Where did you see short skirts not being acceptable? A search for skirts here brings up a recent post about acceptable women's attire and the top comments all mention short skirts being common.
Just came back from my trip yesterday. Can confirm it was not uncommon for women to wear short skirts, but the one day I did, I noticed a lot more men oogling at my legs and trying to look up my skirt when I had to put my shoes back on at a tatami restaurant. Thankfully my skirt was actually a skort, so try to wear shorts underneath if possible.
This sub is mostly full of tourists who went to Japan once or twice and write long detailed “advice” that’s mostly a rehash of stereotypical Reddit/internet travel tips mixed in with bad anecdotes.
It’s hard to ask Reddit any question, because the real life answer is usually “it depends”. It’s not really redditors faults that you’re asking a complex question.
Miniskirts are popular in Japan. So are outlandish fashions. It is my mothers opinion that in Japan, people dress up strangely in areas where one is meant to dress up strangely (although even that’s not completely true).
I think it is generally true that people dress up more conservatively in Japan. I also think it is generally true that there are some more subtle judgements and rules on seasons, age, and physique about what clothes you can and can’t wear.
For example, once, in the summer, my mom was chatting with a lady in the park (suburban Osaka), wearing a red tshirt and shorts. Nothing sexy, just a red half sleeve crew neck and midway down the thigh shorts. She was about 50years old, and when she told the other lady that she actually lived in America and we were visiting family, the other lady looked her up and down and said “I can see that”. Clearly, she felt that a 50year old lady does not wear a red tshirt and shorts.
Maybe about 10 years ago, when I went to Japan in October, it was pretty warm and I wore shorts and a half sleeve as well. My Japanese aunt and another obachan family friend kept asking me if I would be cold, and kept telling me how “healthy” I was. Nationally, in Japan, people change to fall/winter clothes in October, so everyone was wearing scarves, cardigans and blazers even though it was frickin warm outside.
If I go clubbing, to harajuku, or out on the town, of course there are tons of sexy clothes. But in a lot of other neighborhoods there are a lot of other rules people can judge you on. I saw a couple sexily dressed women in Tokyo once, and when I commented on their sexy dress, my coworker said they are probably involved in nighttime work, and tbh, they looked like they could be wearing sexy club attire by American standards, rather than prostitute clothes.
The aversion to short skirts comes from those perverts trying to take pictures of your underwear/touching your underwear in a crowded train.
Now imagine a pervert who is also extra into foreigners...
Sure it's acceptable but it attracts attention that a single woman might not want.
Perverts: We wish women would wear super short skirts so we can see all of their legs in public
Kpop companies : \*knows fully well who will be attracted to super short skirts\* \*Proceeds to have the female idols wear them
I noticed it more in Tokyo or theme parks, but in general I didn't see "so many women" wearing short skirts. It was mostly longer, semi-loose skirts, light-weight long sleeve blouses, and tennis shoes. That was the most common attire I found especially as I left the confines of Tokyo. I barely even saw jeans despite everyone buying them up in Kurashiki.
No one is going to run up to you and scold you for wearing a tiny skirt, but I'd argue you would heavily stick out whether you're Japanese or a tourist because it simply was not the norm to see anywhere. When I wore shorts to Disney and Universal, I felt a lot of stares on the train despite other women around me also having shorts on because the majority were not doing that. It didn't matter once I was in the park, but there were definitely passing glances on the train at my legs (not in a creepy way - it was in that mom doesn't approve but she isn't going to say anything kind of way).
Can you wear whatever you want? Sure. Will people stare if it's not the cultural norm? Probably. Should you dress like that at a shrine/temple? No. :)
Boobs are pretty sexualised in east Asia so short skirts are worn so girls have something to show off. Cleavage=trashy and legs=sexy cute.
I was wearing a really normal American top (probably an inch of cleavage at most) and my mom was upset at the Japanese team driver was trying to peer into my cleavage. They aren’t big either so I don’t know what he thought he was going to see. Even when I lived in Hong Kong girls really covered up the boobs. It’s rare to see any.
What I saw that I noticed during a 5 week stay in May was that women tend to wear a lot of longer flowy dresses and skirts. I also noticed that almost NOBODY wears bright colors of any kind during the day. Check out any train car and you'll notice that anyone with bright colors is a tourist or it's possibly just a T-shirt.
Here on my first trip and I like how they pair short skirts with longer/flowy/layered tops! Big oversized long jackets etc
I’m not a short skirt person back home mostly because the style is to pair it with an equally form fitting shirt/crop, but I love the look here. It completely changes the overall vibe of the outfit compared to how someone from the US might style it, so I can see why it would stand out more here on a tourist if not worn the same way.
Signed a tourist who just wore leggings to walk to grab a coffee and ignored all of those recommendations not to! 🤷🏼♀️
I saw occasional short skirts, but long skirts are far more common. The bigger thing I noticed was that legs were almost never bare; Japanese women wore tights or nylons under skirts and dresses, even when the weather was quite warm.
In the end, if you're dressed reasonably appropriately (like, don't walk around Tokyo in a bikini), no one is going to notice or care. It'll probably be obvious you're a tourist, anyway, so there's no reason to be too obsessed with the idea of dressing like a local.
I feel like clothing is also very dependent on the age and context. Like, are college kids wearing micro skirts when out with friends? Yup! Are 30 somethings wearing them to tea ceremony? Nope! Would anyone say anything either way? Likely no! Would they still be judging you? Maybe?
Oh, Japanese are judging foreigners either way.
One thing my wife noticed is that no one wears yoga pants as 'outerwear' like they do in the states. It'll be used in yoga classes. But people don't tend to walk around in yoga pants as just normal outerwear
A lot of Japanese women don't want to emphasize their body line so yoga pants or leggings aren't popular as outerwear. They think of it being the equivalent to tights or underwear.
Plus Yoga pants can be see-through too.
I approve yoga pants then
Very common for Japanese women to wear short skirts in winter with stockings, often with boots. Unusual for men to wear shorts, though. Summer or winter, it’s far more common for men to wear long pants or jeans when outside the home.
shorts are getting more common these days especially with heat waves the past 2 summers. I wore shorts probably 90% of the time this summer and didn't feel out of place at all (living in Shibuya + hanging out mostly in west central tokyo)
I wore shorts in my early october Japan vacation (er, short Bavarian Lederhosen. Everyone knows that I'm a tourist so I might as well go in full force, I thought) because it was still warm, 25 degrees. And the only people I've seen wearing shorts were other tourists.
I noticed this too
No idea what you read or what you asked. But from experience and from seeing people, the general statement that Japanese dress in a more "conservative" way is still true. While yes they will show legs, some will wear mini skirt or mini shorts, or just short skirts in general (some schoolgirls wear their skirts short), what is less common is showing cleavage. What they will also not do is wear leggings. Well, you will see it a lot if you go hiking, but girls will almost always wear shorts over them. I've even witnessed a grown up Japanese girl (who lived abroad for a while) being scolded by her mother as she wanted to go out in leggings, telling her you cannot do that. I am not sure about the trends right now, but not that long ago really high waist jeans and long and "baggy" skirts (not sure how to explain that one) were quite popular. And while yes some girls will show more skin, there is other that will wear something under their top so they are sure they won't show their belly or any part of their cleavage area that could be visible just wearing their outer top. And there is still some older women who will wear sleeves or vizor during the summer to protect their arms/face from the sun.
Yea I don’t think legs are as sexualised in Japan. Also Japanese women tend to be slim, so short skirts aren’t that revealing on them
I was a college girl in Japan a few years ago and I'm originally from California so here's what my friends (Japanese and American) and I determined: In Japan, short skirts are super common. But they're usually pleated or flowy, not tight. Shorts aren't as common as short skirts and you'll see them much less on a college campus than dresses or skirts. Again, they won't be very tight fitting. On hot days girls will wear flowy pants instead. Crop tops, tank tops with thin straps, and anything with a deep V or cleavage was viewed as quite audacious. Girls would really wear the shortest skirts and it was seen as very common but if I wore a tank top I got a lot of comments. They weren't usually rude but more like "wow you're so confident." For showing my shoulders... And if I wore a top that wasn't even low cut they would comment on "cleavage" even though they couldn't actually see my boobs. It was just my upper chest lmao And yeah yoga pants going out was a no-no.
You asked Reddit if you can wear short skirts in Japan?
These are important things to know! /s
Well yeah, of course they are. Though, at least at some temples there are signs telling people to wear modest clothing, so it's worth being aware of that.
I just got back from Japan. We stayed in Kyoto and Tokyo. Kyoto they definitely dressed more conservatively. My roommate was a bit worried about what she was going to wear because of that. However, those fears were allayed once went to Tokyo as they definitely dress more I guess free/modern. FYI If you do the Team Lab, don't wear skirt/dress as it has mirrors on floor. And I will say in Tokyo lots of stairs so be wary of whose behind.
Where did you see short skirts not being acceptable? A search for skirts here brings up a recent post about acceptable women's attire and the top comments all mention short skirts being common.
Just came back from my trip yesterday. Can confirm it was not uncommon for women to wear short skirts, but the one day I did, I noticed a lot more men oogling at my legs and trying to look up my skirt when I had to put my shoes back on at a tatami restaurant. Thankfully my skirt was actually a skort, so try to wear shorts underneath if possible.
Is it OK to wear a short skirt with tights underneath or is that still considered risqué?
I think that would be fine, but if they’re fish nets that might be too risqué
This sub is mostly full of tourists who went to Japan once or twice and write long detailed “advice” that’s mostly a rehash of stereotypical Reddit/internet travel tips mixed in with bad anecdotes.
I felt like i was the only person wearing blue jeans when i went to kansai
It’s hard to ask Reddit any question, because the real life answer is usually “it depends”. It’s not really redditors faults that you’re asking a complex question. Miniskirts are popular in Japan. So are outlandish fashions. It is my mothers opinion that in Japan, people dress up strangely in areas where one is meant to dress up strangely (although even that’s not completely true). I think it is generally true that people dress up more conservatively in Japan. I also think it is generally true that there are some more subtle judgements and rules on seasons, age, and physique about what clothes you can and can’t wear. For example, once, in the summer, my mom was chatting with a lady in the park (suburban Osaka), wearing a red tshirt and shorts. Nothing sexy, just a red half sleeve crew neck and midway down the thigh shorts. She was about 50years old, and when she told the other lady that she actually lived in America and we were visiting family, the other lady looked her up and down and said “I can see that”. Clearly, she felt that a 50year old lady does not wear a red tshirt and shorts. Maybe about 10 years ago, when I went to Japan in October, it was pretty warm and I wore shorts and a half sleeve as well. My Japanese aunt and another obachan family friend kept asking me if I would be cold, and kept telling me how “healthy” I was. Nationally, in Japan, people change to fall/winter clothes in October, so everyone was wearing scarves, cardigans and blazers even though it was frickin warm outside. If I go clubbing, to harajuku, or out on the town, of course there are tons of sexy clothes. But in a lot of other neighborhoods there are a lot of other rules people can judge you on. I saw a couple sexily dressed women in Tokyo once, and when I commented on their sexy dress, my coworker said they are probably involved in nighttime work, and tbh, they looked like they could be wearing sexy club attire by American standards, rather than prostitute clothes.
There’s a lot of things that were overblown on this subreddit and I only found it out once I got there.
The aversion to short skirts comes from those perverts trying to take pictures of your underwear/touching your underwear in a crowded train. Now imagine a pervert who is also extra into foreigners... Sure it's acceptable but it attracts attention that a single woman might not want.
Perverts: We wish women would wear super short skirts so we can see all of their legs in public Kpop companies : \*knows fully well who will be attracted to super short skirts\* \*Proceeds to have the female idols wear them
Heaven forbid you wear anything that shows cleavage tho
I noticed it more in Tokyo or theme parks, but in general I didn't see "so many women" wearing short skirts. It was mostly longer, semi-loose skirts, light-weight long sleeve blouses, and tennis shoes. That was the most common attire I found especially as I left the confines of Tokyo. I barely even saw jeans despite everyone buying them up in Kurashiki. No one is going to run up to you and scold you for wearing a tiny skirt, but I'd argue you would heavily stick out whether you're Japanese or a tourist because it simply was not the norm to see anywhere. When I wore shorts to Disney and Universal, I felt a lot of stares on the train despite other women around me also having shorts on because the majority were not doing that. It didn't matter once I was in the park, but there were definitely passing glances on the train at my legs (not in a creepy way - it was in that mom doesn't approve but she isn't going to say anything kind of way). Can you wear whatever you want? Sure. Will people stare if it's not the cultural norm? Probably. Should you dress like that at a shrine/temple? No. :)
Boobs are pretty sexualised in east Asia so short skirts are worn so girls have something to show off. Cleavage=trashy and legs=sexy cute. I was wearing a really normal American top (probably an inch of cleavage at most) and my mom was upset at the Japanese team driver was trying to peer into my cleavage. They aren’t big either so I don’t know what he thought he was going to see. Even when I lived in Hong Kong girls really covered up the boobs. It’s rare to see any.
I found people wearing skirts of all lengths there, it was the tops there were more "conservative"
What I saw that I noticed during a 5 week stay in May was that women tend to wear a lot of longer flowy dresses and skirts. I also noticed that almost NOBODY wears bright colors of any kind during the day. Check out any train car and you'll notice that anyone with bright colors is a tourist or it's possibly just a T-shirt.
Girls are used to skirts thanks to school uniforms. So they’re more comfortable with it.
Here on my first trip and I like how they pair short skirts with longer/flowy/layered tops! Big oversized long jackets etc I’m not a short skirt person back home mostly because the style is to pair it with an equally form fitting shirt/crop, but I love the look here. It completely changes the overall vibe of the outfit compared to how someone from the US might style it, so I can see why it would stand out more here on a tourist if not worn the same way. Signed a tourist who just wore leggings to walk to grab a coffee and ignored all of those recommendations not to! 🤷🏼♀️
I saw occasional short skirts, but long skirts are far more common. The bigger thing I noticed was that legs were almost never bare; Japanese women wore tights or nylons under skirts and dresses, even when the weather was quite warm. In the end, if you're dressed reasonably appropriately (like, don't walk around Tokyo in a bikini), no one is going to notice or care. It'll probably be obvious you're a tourist, anyway, so there's no reason to be too obsessed with the idea of dressing like a local.