Will I have problems finding clothes and shoes in Japan?

[keiko_89]

I'm constantly reading about you folks who all have shopping problems in Japan. I'm planning to go to Yokohama in 2 months to work there for some time but I'm worried if I'll have those problems too. I'm quite short for American standards - only 158 cm and I weight around 43 kilos. I also wear really small shoe size - for Americans! - around 3. It would be like 22 cm in Japan , right?
I don't know much about Japanese but I've heard they are really really small so I wouldn't be surprised if I would look big and fat to them.
I'm looking forward to your answers!

Thanx!

[Maciamo]

How could you have any problem with such a Japanese-like stature ? I have problems finding shoes because I need 28 cm, and there is not much choice above 26.5 cm in Japan. Never had any problem for clothes.

[GaijinPunch]

You will fit right in. I'm 188 cm and 85 kilos, and I can even buy SOME things... main just T-shirts though.

[keiko_89]

How could you have any problem with such a Japanese-like stature ? I have problems finding shoes because I need 28 cm, and there is not much choice above 26.5 cm in Japan. Never had any problem for clothes.

Really? Thanks a lot! OMG, did I just ask some silly question? :blush: It's because I don't really know about average heights in Japan... I knew one Japanese girl who was only 150!! She was even shorter than me :p

[Maciamo]

Really? Thanks a lot! OMG, did I just ask some silly question? :blush: It's because I don't really know about average heights in Japan... I knew one Japanese girl who was only 150!! She was even shorter than me :p

The average height is about (I don't have stats) 165-175 for men under 50, and 160-170 for older men, 155 to 165 for women under 50, 130-140 for women over 70 (when they stand straight, but they are usually bent over, so they really look 90cm tall :D).

[DoctorP]

How could you have any problem with such a Japanese-like stature ? I have problems finding shoes because I need 28 cm, and there is not much choice above 26.5 cm in Japan. Never had any problem for clothes.


I can find many shoes up to 28cm, but I wear at least a 28.5 or 29.0 and can only find up to 28.0!

*I think in your last post you meant height and not weight!

[Maciamo]

*I think in your last post you meant height and not weight!

That's what happen when typing while thinking about something else. Sometimes I find my fingers typing words that I didn't had in mind but are similar. Conditionated reflex, I presume...

[DoctorP]

I understood what you meant though.

You don't see 155-165lb women in Japan often (they're here, but you don't see that many of them!) and I knew you didn't mean kg!

[yukio_michael]

I refuse to learn the metric system, and yet, I find clothes quite easily at about 152 pounds give or take. In fact, the clothes here are perfect for me.

[ArmandV]

I bought some sneakers at a sidewalk shoe store in Shibuya 4 years ago as my feet were killing me from the street shoes I was wearing. I had no problem finding my size. Just like back home, try 'em on first.

[misa.j]

I'm quite short for American standards - only 158 cm and I weight around 43 kilos.
You have a very similar stature to mine, my hight is 160 cm and I weigh about 47 kg, it's avarage for a Japanese female. You won't have any problems finding them in Japan.

I always had a luck to find both shoes and clothes that are my size although some of my friends who are shorter complained about not having as many choices as I did.

[Uwaga]

Eek, I'd never even thought about this as a problem.

I'm 185cm and about 82kg, shoes are a European 44, which I think is 28.5 in Japan.

I guess that I will be doing some clothes shopping before getting on the plane to Tokyo.

My wife on the other hand has very Japanese size, so she'll be fine. Doesn't seem very fair.

Is it simply not possible (easy) to find clothes/shoes for bigger sizes, or is it just that they are expensive?

[Index]

It's not too easy to find bigger sizes, but not impossible. I know one store that has big sizes, in Ueno's Ameyoko in Tokyo (worth visiting just for sight seeing). I don't think price is so much of a factor as much as availability.

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

There is a shop of big size in Shinjuku

Big specialty store "Ten" of big shoes:cool:
http://infoseek.amikai.com/amiweb/browser.jsp?langpair=2%2C1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fshoes-ten.com%2F&translate=WEB%E3%83%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8%E7%BF%BB% E8%A8%B3&display=2&lang=JA&toolbar=yes&c_id=infoseek

"Hika ri" Shinjuku shop of shoes
A big size specialty.
http://www.kutsunohikari.co.jp/info/japanese/info1/shinjyuku.html

There is a shop of clothes of big size in Shinjuku
"sakazen":cool:
http://infoseek.amikai.com/amiweb/browser.jsp?langpair=2%2C1&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sakazen.co.jp%2Fshoplist%2Fin dex.htm&translate=WEB%E3%83%9A%E3%83%BC%E3%82%B8%E7%BF%BB% E8%A8%B3&display=2&lang=JA&toolbar=yes&c_id=infoseek
http://www.rakuten.co.jp/btclub/

[Uwaga]

Thanks Index, Hiroyuki.

Good to know that I'll be able to find clothes somewhere, I never thought of myself as a 'big size' before.

Moja głowa jest trochę przerażona.

[Index]

Thanks Index, Hiroyuki.

Good to know that I'll be able to find clothes somewhere, I never thought of myself as a 'big size' before.

Moja głowa jest trochę przerażona.

Uwaga jedziesz na wakacje czy do pracy?

[keiko_89]

Uwaga jedziesz na wakacje czy do pracy?

I wish I knew Polish

[Uwaga]

Keiko: "jedziesz na wakacje czy do pracy?" means "are you going for a holiday or to work?"

I am going do pracy. (to work) :)

[Index]

Great, what kind of work will you be doing, if you don't mind me asking?

[Chipi]

Keiko-Chan, you´ll be in shopping heaven!! (^^)

(says Chipi, allmost the same size as you ;))

[FullMetalStriker]

I'm about 175.26 cm tall, but my family has broader than normal shoulders. I have enough trouble here in the States finding a dress shirt that fits right without having too much sagging and was wondering if I would have the same trouble in Japan. I also wear a size 29.21cm shoe (Using a Metric Converter).

[pika la]

Japan was heaven for me because I could shop in normal stores. I'm about 152cm tall, 41kg, 21cm shoes and here I have to shop into kids clothing stores because everythign else is too big or too long 'n' stuff.

You sound like the perfect size for shopping for clothes and shoes in Japan! You need not worry at all. Have fun!!

[Hide My Heart]

My friend is going to Japan next month to do some shopping in harajuku and other fashion "hot spots". I was wondering could people who've gone to japan to do some shopping could give me some prices so I know how much to give her to shop for me? I was thinking at least a couple hundred but it would be better if I could get some prices....:relief:

So baisically I'm intrested in how much shoes, fashion tee's, skirts and dresses cost. Acessories would be nice as well. Ive been told that these places are more expensive than what we have n america. But by the same token Ive also been told that they're cheeper.

Sny help would be much appriciated. :-)

[xerxes99]

I have to order my shoes from home. I wear a size 31. I might as well ask for shoes made from unicorn hide.