Professional Dress in Japan

At the pre-departure orientation held on Temple's main campus, one thing in particular stuck out to me. The students who had already been to Tokyo as well as the study abroad director Jamie were giving us advice on clothing choices in Japan. While in America, it is the norm to wear jeans, sneakers and tee-shirts, this is a very rare sighting in Japan. One of the student said "You can wear what you want, but if you want to be taken seriously you will dress nicely."

Japanese people are known for wearing their "Sunday best" everyday. Jeans are rarely seen and Americans are viewed as sloppy dressers. Foreigners are recognized easily and will be stared at. Cultural norms are way different in Japan, and while it may be rude to stare at someone different from you in America, Japanese are honestly just intrigued.

American women are viewed as promiscuous, and it is important to dress conservative on the trains. For many years the back of the neck was considered the most sexy and revealing part of a woman's body so if a Japanese man sees a woman with a low cut shirt or short skirt, he will be in shock.

I find all these "rules" a bit intimidating and confusing to be honest. It is strange to me because fighting against all these claims is the way young people dress in Harajuku. The young fashion district is known for its goth, punk and anime clothing scene.

I think maybe it's all a matter of knowing where you are and who you are with. Cultural norms are probably going to be my biggest issue in Japan. Little things I do are very non-Japanese. I constantly look people in the eyes and speak with my hands. I sometimes smile or start small talk with people on trains. All of this would be considered misleading in Japan. I might stick out like a sore thumb because I am not asian and tall, very tall for a girl by Japanese standards. But yet again maybe not. Two of my Japanese sensee were both females and about my height, and I have dark hair which will blend in.

The main difference in the cultures between America and Japan is that America values individualism, being one of a kind and sticking out. Japan is a collectivist culture where conforming to the group is the number one priority. "The nail that sticks out gets hammered".

マリㇱサ