Tuesday 12 July 2011

Shopping in Japan #3 : Underwear and Sportswear

Welcome to the final installment of Shopping in Japan. I hope you have found this segment useful!

Sports/Activewear
There are plenty of Nike and Adidas stores around, especially in larger cities and thankfully because these are Western brands, there will be Western sizes to fit you. Uniqlo also stocks an activewear range made from UV protectant materials.

For those who like hiking, you will want to pay a visit to Japanese outdoor outfitters Swen (Shizuoka/Aichi), Oshman’s (Greater Tokyo area), or even check out the flea markets and thrift stores near U.S. military bases if you live near a one.



Underwear
Many underwear departments now stock Triumph, a Western brand which some of my fellow JETs have experienced success with. Larger girls are going to have a problem though. There is NOTHING above a C cup. Bring a good supply of bras from home.

Things like knickers/panties and stockings are readily available here, if not better quality than back home.

What to Bring from Home…
The season for climbing Mt. Fuji ends at the end of August so if you are keen and will arrive before the end of August, bring your gear, though it is probably a better idea to buy outdoor gear in Japan: it is readily available and the staff will be able to give advice about what clothing is best for Fuji-climbing (assuming there is someone on staff who speaks English or you are fluent in Japanese).

You will be arriving at the peak of summer so only light clothing (for both causal purposes and the workplace) will be needed. Bring your formal suit for orientation and the opening ceremony at your school. Send all your winter clothing ahead in the mail. You won’t need it when you arrive. It is perfectly acceptable to have boxes sent to your workplace because you are more likely to be at work when your package arrives.

Essentials:

  • Shoes (for larger ladies)
  • Bras (for larger ladies)
  • Decent supply of slacks/trousers (some larger girls have difficulty buying comfortable pants for the workplace and taller girls will have issues with the length of Japanese pants)

Anything else you can beg, steal or borrow.

In terms of non-clothing items that you should pack, a great blog worth checking out and bookmarking has a great post on this topic: Surviving In Japan.
 
Happy shopping!

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