What To Wear In Japan
To sum it up - Smart casual
- The Japanese dress as we do and are quite conservative on the whole, but the youngsters are very daring and you'll see some mad stuff in Tokyo.
- Shorts are fine, jeans, even strappy tops etc.
- Jeans are not generally popular with men or women beyond their 20's, so for jean lovers we suggest packing black jeans as an alternative to blue denim.
- In Tokyo black and grey are very popular but outside the capital you will see a far greater choice of colours being worn.
- Women favour high heels however with all the walking we would recommend saving yours for an evening out rather than a day sightseeing.
- If your itinerary includes Kyoto you'll find a more colourful feel to dress than there is in Tokyo perhaps because it is a popular tourist destination and people are dressed for holidays rather than work.
- Men don't need a jacket or tie unless that is how they dress at home.
- Women don't need dresses or skirts unless they are more comfortable in them.
- The only thing to remember for Japan is to make sure your clothes are not tatty looking.
- Holes in socks are a big no-no, because you spend lots of time without shoes on,visiting temples, shrines and traditional restaurants etc.
- Pack comfortable shoes for walking that can be slipped off easily when visiting religious sites or traditional restaurants. We can't emphasise enough the need for really comfortable well broken in walking shoes.
- If travelling in the winter (December-February) take an overcoat, gloves, scarf and ear muffs. You won't see many Japanese wearing ear muffs but you'll be glad you packed them.
- Spring (March - May) is a great time to be in Japan but the weather can be variable so for March/April we would suggest packing gloves, scarf and umbrella and a waterproof jacket.
- Dress in layers because the indoor temperature will be very much warmer than outside.
- Summer (June-August) gets very humid and lightweight natural fabrics such as linen will work best.
- It's worth knowing that it rains more in June, so a lightweight raincoat would be worth packing (but save space in your case and buy an umbrella when you get there – there is plenty of choice).
- For women,if you are travelling to Japan on business then a formal, conservative trouser - or knee length skirt suit worn with tights in dark colours works well but do avoid an all-black look - this is associated with funerals. Also avoid revealing or sleeveless blouses. Japanese women generally do not wear nail varnish.
- For men on business pack dark coloured suits with a blue or white shirt. Other colours are worn, but blue and white are considered the most acceptable. Avoid wearing a black tie as it is associated with funerals. It's also advisable for men to be clean shaven - stubble is generally frowned upon.
Great Clothes to Pack for Japan
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Your thoughts
We went in late March and your advice was spot on - even the ear muffs were greatly appreciated. We wore everything we took and felt very proud of the small amount of luggage we had compared to others and we never ran out of anything. You were so right about comfortable walking shoes at the end of each day our feet throbbed. Smarter shoes at night were a great tip. I would reinforce what you say about people dressing very smartly even our teenage son smartened up his look when we there! Thanks for the help. Steve, Windsor March 2010
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