Job Discussion Forums

[waygofett]

Hi,
I'm beginning to pack to head to Japan and realized I have a clothing question.
I am 6 feet tall right now and a bit over my normal weight (the last year of college I stopped going to the gym and ate very unhealthily.)
I have read that it can be difficult or expensive to find clothes my size in Japan. (I'm cheap so all the clothes I own are from second hand stores so even regular priced clothes in the states seem expensive to me.
I know that while I am over there I will lose a good amount of weight and my clothes won't exactly fit so well anymore.

Should I pack some extra clothes from a year ago when I was my regular weight (which I know I will go back down to) or should I buy new clothes in Japan when I lose the weight? Are clothes expensive enough or hard enough to find to where it would be worth it to bring a few extra things or am I just being silly?

Thanks!

[Glenski]

Don't overpack. First of all, pack only for the first 2 seasons you will encounter. Second, have the remainder boxed and ready to go so that a trusted friend or family member can ship a month in advance. Third, if you have smaller size clothing on hand, box that separately and have it ready to go if/when you need it.

Secondhand clothes? I hope the job you are taking will not have a dress code that opposes that.

[waygofett]

Thanks, I didn't even think about leaving a special box packed here at home but that makes sense now that you mention it.

And yeah all I have is second hand clothes, but my employer is ok with them since they don't require tuxedos and that's about the only thing that you can't get second hand and in nice shape. =)

[pnksweater]

After you�ve been working a few months you should have enough money to buy new clothes. I tend to always shop with the same companies so I have a good idea of the fit and sizes. Shipping is less than great, but when you need something you can�t get here you just have to bite the bullet and spend some money.

I have no idea how big you are, or how much weight you expect to lose, but there is an abundance of shops selling cheap suits and work wear in Japan. College grads in Japan don�t make much at first either.

Either way, set aside some of your pay check to buy some new clothes when you need them. It may sound silly, but investment pieces really are worth the money. Something of good quality that you can wear in many ways for a long time will really help you in the long run.

[OneJoelFifty]

Uniqlo, G.U. and Jusqo, three shops selling very reasonably-priced clothes that cater to many sizes. I'm just over six foot but slim, so the M size shirts from Uniqlo that fit my body come up slightly short on the arm but nothing too obvious. I bought a cheap suit from Jusqo, they fit the length of the trousers in-store. Not an amazing suit but it only cost 8,000 Yen and is fine for the odd formal occasion at school.

There are also a whole bunch of second-hand shops in Japan, both chains and single stores, and the quality on the whole is really good. I tend to buy anything a bit different/expensive brand second-hand and the other stuff mostly from Uniqlo. There are always sale items to be grabbed, I've got a load of jeans and trousers that cost 900 Yen each.

[BadBeagleBad]

[aynnej]

It is difficult to find large-sized clothes here at reasonable prices. I'm a size 16 bottom and a 14 top (US, ladies). I can find tops and skirts, but finding a fitted pair of pants is next to impossible. Finding large shoes can also be a problem. I'm not exactly sure how things are for the men (I'm assuming you're a man since you're over 6' tall, but of course, you could be a tall woman ), but I've heard many of my male friends complaining of the same difficulties I have.

Anyway, I would make sure you bring at least one good suit with 4 or 5 dress shirts you can wear with it. I've found it easier to buy larger-sized casual clothes here than dress clothes, probably because I can fudge the size a bit with knits and don't need that "tailored" look you expect with dress clothes. However, I would bring one pair of your favorite jeans/casual pants, as it can be hard to get the fit you like.

I wouldn't bring more than you really think you'll need, though. You'll be surprised how quickly you'll reach the weight limit on your luggage, and the price for overweight or extra bags is quite high. Plus, you'll likely find the fashion is more formal here. So what you think is "dressy" in your home country may look a bit out of place in Japan. Bring what you think you'll need, then save a bit of your salary to update your wardrobe as needed. Incidentally, if you travel to Vietnam on one of your breaks, you can get rather affordable custom-made clothes. I just had a suit made for about $80 U.S. over Golden Week.

One other thing -- I wouldn't count on losing weight (although kudos to you for striving to be healthy). I think it's a myth that living in Japan and eating all the healthy Japanese food will help you lose weight. That might be true if you had a Japanese mom cooking for you, but most first-year teachers find themselves living on tonkatsu, beer, ramen, beer, beef bowl, beer... Perhaps you're more disciplined than most, but the move, adjusting to a new job, perhaps living in a guest house and sharing a kitchen, all this may make it hard for you to cook properly. I'd leave the small clothes at home, perhaps boxed so someone can ship them to you if you want them.

[aynnej]

By the way, not meaning to imply that you're overweight in any way (I honestly have no idea). I just assume you'll need larger sizes, by Japanese standards, since you said you were over 6' tall.

[OneJoelFifty]

Shoes are a huge pain in the ass. I'm a size 11 UK (12 US, 29cm in Japan) and the majority of shops don't have anything other than Converse that will fit me, and that's only as a slightly smaller size seems to come up quite big.

[Glenski]

[ssjup81]

I feel it's easier to eat healthier in Japan because of how fresh, for the most part, the foods are. Seems everything isn't loaded up with hormones and other things, so that helps a lot right there. My health was way better when I was over there, but now that I'm back home, my health isn't the best in the world as far as food go, since organic/natural foods are much more expensive.

As for weight, walking and biking probably sheds the weight way more than just the food itself, as Glenski pointed out. I know it did wonders for me. I lost a lot of weight while in Japan. Not in my "problem area", but I did lose a lot in other places.

[Mr_Monkey]

The food is just as loaded with shit as Western food - the "it's Japanese, so it's not frankenfood" myth needs to be discarded.

However, the portions are smaller and you therefore eat with your gut, not your eyes.

I've made no special effort whatsoever, but I've still lost 3KG since I came back in February.

[Inflames]

[OneJoelFifty]

Useful to know, thanks!

[waygofett]

Thanks everyone! Sorry for the late reply, I've been running around like a madman trying to prepare to leave but your answers and help are appreciated.