It's much easier to buy clothing from American stores here if you're a foreigner. SO the sport is mainly focused on those options.
You will also begin shopping online more often than usual especially if you don't speak Japanese it will be much easier to find what you're looking for. Plus since the shipping is so fast it would only make sense to buy everything you need from your phone or computer.
Of course you can say or think whatever you'd like but in my honest opinion online shopping will become your new best friend for several different reasons. There are pros and cons to shopping online of course but it is your safest bet and for some of you, your only hope of being able to purchase new clothing.
However I don't want to limit this post to just clothing. I recommend that you buy furniture and home goods online as well (even groceries). This way you don't have to carry large items on the train, hail a taxi home or attempt to arrange delivery with a store which can be very difficult if you lack the appropriate and much needed Japanese language skills (you could have a friends or boyfriend/girlfriend help you with this though).
A Few (A Lot Of) Points...
Japanese people are very fashion conscious. There's an exception to every rule but people here care about fashion trends and their outward appearance including makeup and hair a lot! Even men take fashion and hair very seriously.
Because Japanese people care so much about fashion you will find yourself caring more about your appearance too.
Personally I began wearing dresses skirts and more "fashionable" clothing". Ironically I get soo many compliments from natives and foreigners alike even although 90% of my wardrobe is Hot Topic, Forever21, H&M, Target and Walmart brand clothing!
Most Japanese clothing stores are run and designed like high end or vintage fashion boutiques. There are usually 2-4 staff members in a tiny store dressed professionally (sometimes even wearing gloves). They will typically only display one of each item and the clothing is spaced on the racks. The staff in these store are a bit more vocal (often times more annoying) and will offer their help and opinions similarly to American retailers around Christmas.
If you wear anything above an XL whether you are a man or a woman you can't find clothing in even an American store. You might find a few odd items that you can squeeze yourself into but it won't be easy.
If you already wear an Extra Small, Small, or even a Medium you can shop at most Japanese stores for you clothing. However a medium in Japan is viewed as a large so occasionally you may also have trouble finding clothing that fits you properly particularly if you're a woman.
Men generally won't have a hard time finding clothing as mens clothing is usually loosely fitted to some degree (even slim fit clothing). However if you're a tall man or have a gut you may find that the length is an issue thus specialty store and once again online shopping are your 2 options. Also you might as well give upon finding shoes if your an average sized man in the United States you're a giant here. Japanese men aren't just shorter but they have smaller hands and feet than MOST Americans. If you wear above a size 10 as a man you may have trouble finding shoes.
Yes losing some of that blubber will most certainly help you fit into the clothing here especially if you're a dude however if you are a woman this may not be the case for you when it comes to certain pieces such as dresses, skirts, and jeans. Asian women are generally very slim and lack curves. Most Japanese girls have a slim rectangular shape. So even if you do find clothing that fits or that is even too big for you it will never get past your hips and even the largest of bras might not be able to clasp around your ribcage/back.
Unless you're a total freak you will lose weight once you come here. I lost about 25 lbs. in 7 months (without any effort) since I came in December. I did this without changing my diet or exercising purposefully. You will find yourself walking so much and because the food here is not high in calories, sugar, or salt you will not be very interested in eating or even drinking as much as you were once used to.
Not that the food here isn't delicious but not all of it is very enticing or addictive either. Eating rice for every meal gets old real fast...
Wanna lose a little weight? Drink mostly water or unsweetened hot tea, Take the stairs and avoid the escalators, go for a late evening or early morning walk/run, join a gym. If you have a car don't use it ride your bike or walk.
One Size Fits All or Most is very commonly seen. If you ask staff about sizing or if they have a large size for the item you are pointing at or holding they will kindly tell you that they don't carry a larger size. XL is hard to find for both genders (and it's a Japanese sized Extra Large).
Sizes are not usually openly displayed like they are in America which can make shopping a bit confusing. Instead you have to examine the piece of clothing and search for the size tag usually inside the piece on the back of the inner neck (wow that was a lot to type for one point). Of course you can also use common sense usually the largest size will be in the back of the smaller ones. In my experience from shopping for men, men's clothing in anything over a U.S Large is hard to find. Most Japanese clothing for men would fit an XS-M man in America.
7/11 has emergency clothing such as camisoles, tank tops, and T-shirts in white up to a size Large.
Women of color can find makeup such as concealer and foundation almost any pharmacy that sells drugstore makeup. *Shades only go as dark as caramel like myself*
TIP: Purchase online from major makeup brands and you can have your correct shade sent to your front door.
Women of color can also find pantyhose at 7/11 *Shades only go as dark as caramel like myself*
TIP: Purchase online from major makeup brands and you can have your correct shade sent to your front door.
As for ladies shirts that stretch and socks are the only things you can buy without hesitation in most situations. Anything that's a bit fitted like skirts jeans and dresses you can forget about it!
Japanese women are on average shorter than MOST American women. The average height here is about 5'2 so clothing is made to fit women close to this height. I am 5'4 and haven't had any problems with the length of clothing.
HOWEVER I do notice that the sleeves are often shorter and jewelry comes in smaller sizes as Japanese women (men too) have smaller hands etc..
If you wear above a size 7 shoe then you may have trouble finding shoes.
SO be mindful of arm and leg lengths.
If you are curvy you can forget about buying a fitted dress, a skirt with a zipper or non stretch pants.
I have very wide hips and even although I usually wear a size Large not even a 2XL here could fit over my hips. An Extra Large and Large generally fit me just fine in most clothing despite what I was told before I came here.
You should try to dress modestly but classy as a man or a woman. However many people dress immodestly but it's not as commonly done as it is in America. It's okay to show off legs and even arms but I can count the times that I've seen cleavage here. Because you're a foreigner people will be more judgmental of your outfit choices. Maxi dresses and skirts are very fashionable and commonly worn here.
Most people especially women tend to dress like Americans did in the 70's and 80's. It is sometime hard not to laugh at their outfit choices but I'm sure they feel the same way about Americans.
Payment Options
Despite what you've read or have been told you can use credit and debit card here in Japan.Debit cards are easier to use. Most clothing stores whether they're Japanese or American will accept them.VISA & MasterCard (preferably VISA) is your safest bet. Be sure to contact your bank to update your address or for them to put a travel note on your account to avoid unapproved transactions and future embarrassment and humiliation like I experienced.
COD: I don't use this method personally but it's a great option if you'd rather use cash for your purchase should you not have a card or not have enough money on it at the moment. I recommend using exact change or smaller yen to avoid having problems as they delivery-dude may not have enough change to break a 10,000 yen for a 1,500 yen purchase! Also if you happen to not be at home they can't leave your package with anyone unless the person answering the door has the money to pay on your behalf. *Cash on Delivery! COD! That's LAW!*
Arranged Delivery Day & Time: You can arrange a specific delivery date and time of day such as before 12:00PM or between the hours of 6:00-9:00PM. This is very helpful especially if you work or are a student like me you can leave home without having to question and wonder whether or not you will be home in time to receive your packages.
LINE Pay: Similar to PayPal this is another way to skip having to enter all of your cards details. I use this method the most for smooth and easy online shopping. Its a treasure when you find stores that offer it at checkout!
Delivery: In generally anything you but online from a Japanee store will arrive at your day in 2 days no more than 3 days from the date of your purchase. Most items ship the day you purchase them and because Japan is such a small country with less than half of the American population, most people live in Tokyo, most businesses have their factories, headquarters and warehouses in Tokyo and because you probably live in Tokyo yourself, items can be delivered much faster. Which is great!
PayPal: This online money service is available in Japan too! Sign up for one touch to make your mobile checkout easy for future purchase but be sure to update your address and acrd information if necessary!
Your Personal Saviors...
Online Shopping
I highly recommend that you shop from these stores to have clothing and miscellaneous items shipped directly to your front door. Target, Bed Bath & Beyond, JC Penney, Forever21, H&M, AliExpress and last but definitely not least Amazon.
The American stores such as Target do charge a hefty shipping fee starting at about $50 USD however it is worth it considering it's convenience and the fact that whatever you just purchased from their websites is probably nonexistent in Japan or very hard to find in Japan. There is no Walmart or Target here, and there's no store that is even remotely close to or comparable to either of the them sadly (Amazon is as close as you can get and ehh Costco too technically). Walmart unfortunately doesn't ship to Japan.
Forever21 (Japan)
One of the few American store here that actually have a warehouse and multiple physical stores located within the country. The clothing is mostly the same as what you are used to seeing in America. Just like in America people talk crap about this store and H&M referring to it is cheap and unfashionable however I can't tell you how many time I have been complimented for wearing their clothing! Most of my clothing comes from F21 & HotTopic and I wouldn't have it any other way.
COD, arranged delivery and LINE pay/check out are all options for making purchases. I was amazed that I could use the LINE app by simply adding my credit card information and using my thumb on my iPhone 7 Plus.
Amazon
Is amazing here! You will have to make a new account with a new email as you can't use your U.S account here in Japan. So either create or use your alternative email to sign up. You will have new fancy options that have both both never existed in America and that have disappeared due to lack of morals and safety concerns. COD or cash on delivery as well as well as the ability to pick both a delivery date and time (yes you read that correctly) is an option when checking out. As per usually you can also use the one-click buy option and save address and credit card information for future use. The option to subscribe and save is also available.
You will soon become a bit annoyed with not being able to purchase a lot of stuff from your home country as the seller doesn't ship to Japan. You an usually find the item through another Japanese seller but the price is usually crippled for profit.
TIP: Have a Japanese friend help you sign up for the account if you can't read in Japanese OR even better download Google Chrome for your cellphone (like I did) or tablet and go to Amazon's or F21's website NOT the app and you can request that the page is translated into English automatically! Problem solved! This also works for general online shopping in Japan even for ordering food. Check out this post for more information on that subject!
Also consider purchasing items from store that don't offer international shipping to Japan and have them sent to a trusted friend or family member in your home country. You can then have them ship the items directly to you in Japan.
You can also try using a third party shipping agency that is based in America at your own risk should you want to purchase personal items or lack family and friends that can help you.
Shopping In Store
The only exception!
If you absolutely must shop in person you will fall in love with Uniqlo (my favorite). This store is like the Old Navy of Japan. They sell trendy clothing that's reasonably price and have good sales occasionally. It's not a "cool" clothing store amongst the Japanese natives but who cares?! Clothes are clothes and only you know where they came from!
You may have noticed a few of these stores popping up in major cities in America such as Chicago recently.
Uniqlo sales clothing for all ages babies, kids, teens, and adults. They are a huge chain retailer and often have multiple floors of fashionable clothing in both small and extended sizes. You can also try on clothing in their fitting rooms. In general you can easily find sizes up to a U.S XL equivalent and occasionally a 2X. Anything above an XL there is no guarantee. They have a wide range of fashions selling both casual and business casual clothing
Forever21 and H&M are two more options for shopping in store. However if you wear anything above a U.S Large as a man or a woman, you will have very limited to no options at these stores. Unlike in America there is NO plus size section in store or online.
There's more to it!
This post will be updated in the future, as I am sure that there are other foreign and Japanese stores to shop at here online and in person.
Please share your shopping experience or any tips that you have for other people looking for clothing in the comments below.
Stay Tuned!
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