Fashion "Rules" for Japanese Women 

I like how all the girls were comfortable with going english and japanese at the same time

I'm an American with a Japanese dad and family in Japan. When we went to visit them back in 2003 (not my first time, but first time as a young adult), my dad urged me not to bring jeans with holes in the knees, and got me to carefully clean my Converse sneakers. These are not things he usually bothered me about at home in the US. 20-year-old me was annoyed at this and said things like "That's my style, I'm an American!" My dad responded "In Japan you're not just on your own, you are representing Yamada family, so wearing things like that is 'hazukashii' for us."

i think i understand now how over-the-top harajuku fashion came to be, because of such strict rules, in regular life dressing however you want would be so therapeutic ..

i think the Japanese saying "The nail that sticks out gets hammered down" kinda summarizes it, its viewed as risky to appear be not be a "team player"

There was ALOT of truth bombs thrown here for Japanese living and culture. This was an awesome video. Those young ladies are interesting speakers with very distinctive personalities. It seems as though some or most of the ladies went to international schools or something. Their English is amazing.

I hate the idea of “damaged goods” as if life doesn’t even go on after the fact

I love uniforms because you don't have to think about what to wear every day. I don't really care about expressing myself through my outfits but I understand some people enjoy that.

I am a Japanese student who is in the middle of haunting a job, and I already attended some internships and interviews. Because of coronavirus most of them are conducted online and I did not have to wear a suit and just woar formal daily outfits. That was so good for me. Wearing a "recruit suit", I personally feel like I have to be the same as others,which makes it more difficult to express myself😂 Sorry for my bad English😥

It makes sense that you shouldn't have expensive designer items as a real estate agent. It kinda feels like you're overpaying when the real estate agent is all decked out in Louis Vuitton. 🤣

I really don't agree with Japan's workplace fashion, for both men and women. Although it's relaxing the rules in recent years, my boss still tells my girlfriend that she must wear high heeled shoes, as well as a business suit. I love Japanese fashion, but it isn't fashion anymore if you're forced to dress a certain way.

When I was in college the Asian kids- both those raised in the us and the foreign students- always looked more put together even in going-to-class-in-PJ's "comfy" outfits, just generally more aware of proportions, fit, and condition of the clothing. Us American students tended towards a " It's a miracle I'm awake for this 8 am course, asking me to be dressed up is too much" attitude.

As someone who grew up wearing uniforms, I have to say I quite enjoyed my school days. There's something to be said about everyone looking the same and being held to the same standard. It also served to instill discipline, while promoting a sense of community in students.

Another reason why us living in Osaka think life in Tokyo is pure hell. While some people overdress to work like these poor ladies have to do, here in Osaka is a free for all unless the job requires a uniform.

now I know why in anime (Japanese animation) colorful hair and advanced models are more diverse than in the real world, because in the real world there are many rules that must be obeyed, and anime and cosplay are one of the ways they express themselves through something

the contrast of how japan has some of the most diverse and excentric styles and at the same time has such strict societal fashion rules, is a very interesting phenomenon to analyze.

I was really surprised about them getting their ears pierced at an old age. In my country (Mexico) it is common for girls to get our ears pierced a few days after we were born

I remember when I used to live in around the Sumida City limits of Tokyo, I used to dress like a metal head with Band Patched out jackets and Black jeans with chains. People always loved asking me for photos and it was always very nice but embarrassing 🥰😅

Japanese school teachers would be absolutely horrified with how North American students dress, our hairstyles, makeup, piercings etc 😂

I'd like to see a perspective from fashion designers or students, and in general those who don't conform to the strict fashion rules in japan!

I think being dutch is one of the most free countries when it comes to how you are dressed, you can be a top criminal attorney and be goth. You don't have to wear make up but you can. Some companies wear suits but that's probably not an obligation. Even the minister president bikes around in jeans for meetings if he doesn't have to wear a suit. I think it's unlikely anyone will object to what you wear unless they have a clear reason to.

I was totally out of my depth on this topic... which is why I had my Japanese teacher help with the interviews. What you see me wearing in videos is really what I wear everyday. Actually wait, it's a bit more casual, since I usually have some kind of pyjama pants or suteteko shorts on when at home. The thing that would get me in trouble in the Japanese workplace, beyond my hatred of suits, is my lack of shaving. My meagre beard hairs are so thick, that no matter what shaver I use or even if I see a professional barber, if I don't leave everything for a few days between shaves, my skin gets irritated and is easy to cut. Anyways, despite my cozy fashion, believe it or not, I dress a bit better in Japan than I did in Canada! And I just saw the other day that they're promoting some comfy fit suit with stretchy fabric, so perhaps I'll have to try those if I ever find myself in a situation where I have to wear a suit more than once a year. It was really interesting to learn about all the considerations that these women had to take into account when dressing for different occasions. I always had this idea in my head that in general, countries in Europe dress more fashionably than Canada/US. What do you all think? And what are the fashion "rules" like where you're from?

I thought the idea of ‘protecting the company brand’ as a reason for strict workplace fashion rules was interesting. It makes sense. In a group-oriented society like Japan, every member of an organization is suppose to represent it, not only in name but in image and behavior as well. I work for the city as a teacher, and while fashion rules are pretty relaxed (depending on the situation), behavioral rules are strict. Even on days off, teachers and city hall staff are expected to act ‘majime’ - be polite, follow social norms, and general be on good behavior whenever they are in the public eye.

In Australia 99% of schools have uniforms. I love this as there no status or fashion trends involved. When a uniform represent where you are from. No judgment.

The mention of hair dye reminded me of the reports from Japan alleging a naturally-brown haired student was pressured to dye their hair black. It was in Osaka, if I recall correctly.

I think it's great you handed the video off to these women. They had such good energy and were open and honest and gave me a really clear idea of what it's like to dress for them. I'd love to see more fashion videos!

They're such a fun group! Please do mor einterviews with them on all sorts of topics.

When I moved to Brisbane, Australia after living in Tokyo for four years, I felt like I overdressed most of the time, compared to laidback Brisbanites. When I moved back to Tokyo, after adapting to the Brisbanites, I felt so underdressed. It’s so funny looking back. 😄 I love both cities and the people.

I‘m working at court in a european country. Nobody here cares what you wear...as long as you wear something at all... So I just wear whatever I want to, sometimes I‘m in the mood for business clothing, sometimes I‘m in the mood for ripped jeans and sneakers, in summers i can wear tank tops. This video really made me realize what a luxury it actually is, to have all those choices and not be restricted by the company you work for. I mean you still do the same work and have the same skills, no matter if your hair is pink or you‘re wearing birkenstocks.

Their English is really good. Sensei still has an accent, but the uni graduates barely have one. Super impressive.

This video really has me thinking. In the U.S., I think people are less inclined to make assumptions about people's character just based on their clothes. You said that, in Japan, you think that you can tell who a person is by their appearance, but in the U.S., I would say that you can tell how a person is feeling on a particular day by their appearance on that day; if I see someone dressed in sweatpants and a t shirt I will assume that they are feeling tired and a bit lazy on that day, not that they are a tired and lazy person. Also, rather than judging someone's character based on their appearance, I think people in the U.S. will judge and make assumptions about people's financial status based on their appearance. Ultimately though, I think it's quite silly to judge someone's character or financial status based on how they appear on a certain day. Great video Greg!

I would love to live in Japan but not work in Japan after seeing videos like these. I understand the workplace culture is changing (slowly) but considering the kind of workplace culture I live in now, I think I would just tear out my hair over the many rules in Japanese workplace (corporate) that have absolutely nothing to do with workplace efficiency or work quality.

Did anyone see that nyt article about the school in Japanwho forced a girl to dye her hair black because they didn’t think dark brown or whatever was her natural color?

I understand looking nice and presentable for an interview, but if I have to spend $200+ on a specific suit just to potentially get a job at a company I probably wouldn't do it. If I'm job seeking I don't have $200 to spend on one outfit.

I remember when I was in Japan in 2019 in Tokyo station after just getting there, and my first shock was at how PACKED it was, then my second shock was how everyone was so immaculately dressed (coming from the United States).

As a foreigner here in Japan, I personally LOVED wearing my recruit suit when it was time to job hunt. And now that I'm a stay at home mom, I also love looking the part. I can see how it would be frustrating for some people, but for me, it's a way to let those around me know exactly who I am without having to start a conversation. As all foreign residents know, it's often a bit awkward when someone isn't sure about your "status" here. Wearing a business suit with my company pin meant people sort of inherently knew that I wasn't a tourist, was likely to speak Japanese, etc. For example, at first, I had to commute by shinkansen (thank goodness my company paid!), and every day, I showed up to purchase my ticket at the counter - in a suit - and everything was automatically done in Japanese. But the day when I showed up, in front of the same staff who'd seen me for two weeks, in normal clothing, to go apartment hunting in my new city... my foreign appearance trumped all else and he welcomed me in (excellent) English!

It’s also really interesting how Japanese people are expected to dress when attending a wedding. Everyone wears/has similar dresses and hairstyles but they are never worn any other time except at a wedding. And they are very distinct and you can tell immediately if someone is going to a wedding that day. But from an American perspective, I found the dresses and hairstyles kind of gaudy compared to the very simple and pretty style that Japanese women wear on a normal basis. It’s just really interesting.

When I went to kanagawa, I felt incredibly underdressed! Just going to the konbini, I had to dress less sloppy than I usually do 🤣 everyone was so fashionable in the big cities but in the outskirts and countryside it was more laid-back and comfortable

Not only in Japan, I was also born in Hong Kong and lived around 14 years. The people in Hong Kong also judge a person by their clothes too! I think it is because, in Asia, they think they are the same team that everyone needs to match the lifestyle. But in the US or western countries, we think we as a person, not as a team that everyone can do whatever they want. It is about the culture, we can't really judge base on the cultural differences

I used to live in Jakarta, Indonesia then had to move to Singapore about 4 years ago. What I noticed is people in Jakarta is really into mall culture. We tend to dress up, wear make up and style our hair when visiting malls. Whereas in Singapore, I found a lot of people is really casual. I find it interesting how I can see people shopping for designer bags in shorts and sandals. I guess people wont really look down on you even when you are in casual outfits.

My mom was a teacher in Japan for a year, and she mentioned they had really strict dress codes like what the girls were mentioning, and her theory as to why they were so exact was that way, like the girls were saying, rebelling was wearing your hair in a different style, or cutting your skirt a little bit, whereas in the US, where everything is super lax, rebelling is more likely to involve more permanent changes, like tattooing, smoking, etc. I'm not sure if it's true, but if so, then it actually makes a ton of sense from my point of view.

There are quite a few of such unspoken rules for women in Japan and flouting them would usually result in negative social consequences. For instance, when I was living in Tokyo, on several occasions I would get harassed by males asking for my number and my age on the streets. I later found out from my Japanese friends it was because I was wearing a denim skirt that cuts-off slightly above my knees, and apparently, that's enough for males to brand me as "sleazy" and thus inviting their harassment. I never wore that skirt again. In another occasion, I'd sometimes skip make-up if I'm only heading to school (university) for a short class, but when I do it in Japan, I'd get questions from my friends if I was feeling unwell that day. As if, the only reason for my not dolling myself up, was because of a disease. It's also socially unacceptable to dress too sloppily or casually in a big city like Tokyo, even if it's for making a short trip to the convenient store or supermarket. I'd get stares all around for not being in proper attire whenever I'm in my dry-fit t-shirt, running shorts, & flip-flops. Japan's a beautiful country, but with these social boundaries in everyday life, it gets a little hard to breathe for foreigners not used to that way of living.

What a phrase: "You have to be fashionable, but not too fashionable." I think something is working somehow for Japan in a good way.

Gosh, as much as I love everything about Japan, I have to admit that dress codes are very strict here. I mean let people wear whatever they want. Life's too short to follow such rules.

This was so fascinating, Now I understand why my mother who was raised in Japan always dressed so nicely even on her days off from work ..

Despite all the "rules" it was nice to be in an environment where it was encouraged to put effort into your dress. Certain styles just wouldn't fly without glances in other parts of the world.

I would never wear such a plain, standardized outfit for a job interview here in Italy. Choosing what to wear is important: it makes you stand out, expresses your personality, and makes a statement. Being noticed for the right reasons is part of the "art" of convincing recruiters to hire you. Things still work very differently in Japan, though: "blending in" is more important than getting recruiters interested in your individual skills, personality, and experience.

personally, i think this type of "rule set" helps to make street fashion and art in general all the more creative and progressive japan has always been known for the conformist appearance and uniforms, but it's also been a global trailblazer in fashion for decades, and i think there's a pretty clear connection there

Everytime I visit Japan, I am always amazed how they dress up especially in cold months.

used to wear clothes that let me "express myself," being a metalhead back in the day it was all black with band shirts.. but as I grew older and more mature I've come to appreciate business suits, its just more professional looking and people will take you more seriously.. impressions do matter so its best to dress your best self, and I actually like these fashion rules in japan.. I'm a big fan of "sawayaka style" and I love how Japanese in general dress simple and clean at the same time still fashionable

When I visited japan I really liked how every employee that had uniforms. I didn’t realize how strict the rules were though with hair, nails, handbags!

I got clued in to how dressed up Japan is relative to where I’m from when I was there as a student. Now I pack nicer clothes when I go as a tourist. I figure if everyone’s going to class the joint up a bit, the least I could do is not look like a slob myself.

When walking around popular areas in Tokyo (pre-covid) I see many women dolled up and dressed to the 9s. I can't imagine the time and resources spent to get that look daily.

I didn't go to school in Japan but I attended a school where there was a no-dyed har rule...When I entered class on the first day my professor told me that I wasn't allowed to have dyed hair (I'm a ginger) and I had to show him one of my pictures as a baby to prove that that was my natural color

in bali, when i was in high school, i have 4 kinds of uniform that i wear for a week, on monday and tuesday i wear white shirt with grey trousers, on wednesday i wear batik with black trousers, on thursday i wear the traditional uniform, and on friday i wear a brown set uniform,

When I lived in Japan I really felt the pressure to wear what was expected of me and I found it quite annoying at times. Especially since I found a lot of loose fitting clothes and long skirts that Japanese women wear boring and uncool. But I was even asked by staff in a shop if I'm not cold when wearing a short skirt. And I had people commenting on my looks behind my back in stores. So I feel Japan is very strict when it comes to what women are "allowed" to wear and I hope it changes a little bit in the future!

I went to a school in Hyuga, Miyazaki. My school was so old school with stupid rules. ONLY a low ponytail, no other hair style. If your hair was shorter than shoulder length, then you could keep it down. Nails must be short. No hair dye (of course). No piercings. No nail polish. No curling your hair. No makeup. You must wear a WHITE under shirt under the summer uniform. Only ankle socks, but they were allowed to have "One Point". Meaning the sock could have a little embroidery print on the side or something. Socks had to be white. In the winter, you were allowed to wear BLACK stockings. Your gym shirt had to be tucked into your pants. You had to put the school pin and your nametag on your blazer, and when you took your blazer off, you had to put the pin and nametag on your vest. I guess a good rule we had was that we had to take our nametags off before leaving the building. Most would just leave it on their desks. Honestly if the uniform was cute, I wouldn't have really minded all of this. But our uniforms were so ugly. I think most foreigners might find it cute. But to me, and to my friends, and to literally everyone around us, it was ugly. They keep these rules enforced by doing checks every so often, usually after a major test. We would all go to the gym, split into classes, then they would have a teacher for each class. Each student would go up one by one by our seat numbers. If we got called out for something, they would tell us to stay there until everyone was checked. Then they'd just yell at us lol. The teaches at my school loved yelling. Some of them were honestly too mean in my opinion. But that's country side japan for ya.

It's interesting for Japan that when people are young as children. They don't have many rules for wearing clothes. But when they grow up, more and more rules to follow.

The girls all have great personalities 🥺 I wish the video was longer it was so nice to listen to them

From watching videos of walks around Japan, I have noticed a lot of women wear long skirts there. I live in the mid-south part of the US and whenever I see a woman wearing a long skirt I automatically assume she must be a member of a very strict church. It is strange to me to see that in another country as normal.

New Zealand - The first company I worked for was a bank and they would put several hundred dollars towards your first corporate wardrobe. It was the same as what was worn by the staff in the bank branches. There were various options but it was basically a suit, very like these fresher suits! We had a half day off to go get fitted and choose our items. We felt very grown up and I remember feeling valued and proud. We didn’t have to sign up to it, so long as we dressed to an equivalent standard, but most of us did. That was 20 years ago, now that company follows a ‘dress for your day’ policy, where if you’ll be at your desk you can be in jeans and a t-shirt. Times have moved on. Mostly I’m glad, I don’t think I could’ve done 20 years in a suit, but I have fond memories of those early days and how good I felt in that suit!

all these rules and regulations sound like hell. im so glad my job lets me wear jeans and hoodies lol. would love to see the uniform video if you end up making it!

In Indonesia is basically do whatever you want but suit the occasion and be modest (if you could), fashion is embraced here, the more fashionable you are, the more eye catching you are

Two things come to mind: 1. Really few places are as “laid-back” on appearances as Anglophone Canada and the USA. Even in Quebec, you’d get much more judged for dressing without minding the context than in Ontario, and then much more so in much of Europe. Working in an IT firm in Montreal, we still had “informal but very much understood” rules of what was appropriate and what was not. The Paris office was much stricter on those rules. 2. Given that the norm is not being as laid-back as North America in style, I think there is really some well-founded logic in putting everybody on an equal standing in that regard. It can be very infuriating to be discriminated in such an arbitrary manner that has no relationship to your applicable skills. Nevertheless, there’s obviously a balance to be had with self-expression but I really do see some “equalizing” aspects of uniform employment applications. Including pictures is still odd to me though.

I think it goes to show how their Japanese mentality is that they didn’t wear make up or cute clothes in America because...other people didn’t. In American colleges plenty of people wear makeup, both heavy and light, and dress up or dress down. Typically people don’t care what you do and won’t think you’re weird for doing either. Also it’s usually the juniors and seniors that don’t wear make up or dress up as much because they’re so busy and there’s no pressure to unlike in highschool.

Mao’s English is so perfect 👌🏻♥️ Respect to all these ladies ♥️

When I was studying abroad in Japan, I didn’t pay much attention to what I was wearing (a plain sweater and jeans) until my classmates started commenting about it. Then, I dressed up a little (blouse and sweater dress) they were like: “oh you look much better today.” Well, damn. I didn’t realize I was such a slob! Lol, So I started making an effort to put on light makeup (annoying as it was) but I started fitting in better. I don’t mind dressing up, even when I work from home. It makes me feel like I’m going somewhere but not really going anywhere.

The emphasis that the goal is to blend in and be like everyone else is difficult for me as someone who values uniqueness, individual expression, and artistry as part of the individual. I can also see how it has it's advantages in specific situations. For those who feel that they are just too different to blend in it must be pure hell.

This odango hairstyle is sooooo amazing and beautiful!

Thanks for this great video! I feel that in some ways these ladies are still wearing a sort of uniform even when they don't wear a suit as all clothes are in a narrow range of colours: white, beige, grey, navy and black. Only one of the ladies' skirt was in a sort of burgundy that seemed a bit different. It seems quite far from the fabrics and colours used for Japanese traditional outfits (whether beautiful loud colours and /or patterns). I am French and live in London. It is quite interesting to see how different these 2 countries are in clothing. The main points of comparison are : - uniforms are rare in France. England is known for school uniforms, but I actually discovered many other functions require a uniform, which I find really nice as it ensures impeccable presentations on certain rules. And now my kid goes to school, I'm happy I and he don't have to bother about the latest trends and all kids are dressed the Same. In the UK it can also simply be the continuity of a tradition. - even for functions where people wear a uniform in France, it is usually more casual that uniforms in the UK. - In the UK, the dress code in offices can vary widely compared to France. In France you can never be very casual but you rarely have to obey a very strict dress code. People in offices are less expected to wear a very strict suit and more smart casual (to nuance, of course, depending on the type of industry). In the UK, in some offices (e. G. media companies) people can wear very casual or even crazy clothing (that would shock French people) - I have seen people leading job interviews in dinosaur slippers or transgender people coming to the office with loud makeup, coming one day dressed as a man or another in a dress, a trainee coming on "casual Friday" with a stained hoodie... On the contrary, in some industries (e.g. Finance, law firms - particularly in London), people are expected to wear more formal wear (proper business outfits) than in France with less freedom in style (even if very elegant). Men would wear a suit and shirt with cufflinks. Women would wear very taylor dresses or suits. - outside of work, it is not really well seen to go out in sportswear (track suit, leggings etc...) when not actually going to exercise, whereas it is very common in the UK to wear this to go to the shops, park etc... - in the UK, or at least London, one can dress however they want on the street, with the most original outfits, no one cares. In France, people would be very surprised, comment and probably unable to stop staring. - Style in the UK and France are miles away - In the UK, being elegant would involve either a taylor dress with only slight variations in the cut and on colours (which can be very bold) or involve flowery dresses. In France, women would more go to clothes with a huge variety of cuts but less mixes of colours and more focus on details (pleats, bow, lace....).

The recruit suit make those poor girls look like they work for an airline🤣🤷🏻‍♀️👩🏻‍💼✈

So many insights in this video - thank you very much! Can't wait for the uniforms video.

What an insightful interview. I enjoyed listening to all their explanations regarding Japanese clothing rules for women working in Japan.

I'm frequently told that I'm too formal because I usually wear button up shirts tucked into skirts with tights and ballet flats or ankle boots. I think the dress code in New Zealand is "make sure your privates are kept private" It's not uncommon for people to walk around in swimsuits in summer and pyjamas in winter. Almost everyone wears jeans or shorts and sneakers or jandals and usually a graphic t-shirt. It's a very laid back country.... it makes my formalness really stick out even though in Japan I think I'd be considered casual :/

30 years ago? Yamamoto-sensei is older than she looks. Good for her!

Learned a lot on this one! The participants were so candid and helpful explaining limits for women. Great job.

Such a fantastic channel, I found this video fascinating. You cover such a variety of really inspired topics so well every time. Thank you.

This video really opened my eyes about my experience when I visited Japan. One thing I kept commenting on to my friends were how well everyone was dressed and how well most people looked just to go shopping, buy groceries, or even get food. It makes sense now given the importance Japanese puts on outward appearance.

In my office you can wear basically anything to work as long as they're presentable. A long sleeves shirt with collar is a must every Monday to Wednesday or if you do not want to wear a collar shirt, you can top any of your outfit with a blazer or jacket. On Thursday you can wear a traditional textile called "batik" and it can be with or without collar. Friday-Sunday (yes I work 6/7 sometimes I have to work on weekends) you can wear more casual outfits especially on weekends cuz only few ppl come to work on those days. You can wear accessories but not too much. Any shoes are allowed, I personally wear sneakers/flats to work; BUT you can't wear open toe or open heels shoes, flip flop aren't allowed unless when you go praying or when it's rain; even when it's rain you're expected to bring another pair of shoes to change later. There's no such a thing as graduate suits but it'll be more appropriate to wear one when you're going to an interview. ( ╹▽╹ )

I felt like such a slob when I was in japan 😭😭 I think I generally dress fairly nicely, but I ended up buying a lot of clothes there because I was self conscious...and because I was on holiday and walking around a lot in the hot weather (for me anyway!), I got all sweaty which didn’t help 😭

Yeah, Japanese office fashion is ridiculous. I worked in Japan a few years back and got “judged” since my office outfit “stands out” I didn’t know I couldn’t wear necklaces or bracelets or use bags with brandnames. At one point I wore a red winter coat since my “neutral” ones are being washed and my officemates looked at me like I grew an extra head 😓

I am from the SF Bay Area in California, where our style is VERY casual at almost all times. Then I lived in Seattle for two years, and I didn't realize how different clothes expectations were in other states. They were far more dressed up at all times, which I found very very weird. I guess it's driven by the differences in weather.

I thought this was very interesting! What lovely ladies 😊

I love these style of video. Informative and in a casual hanging out setting. Definitely would like to hear more!

fabulous content, clearly concise and easy to understand, thank you for creating and sharing, very professional.

I do have some rules for what I can wear to work, but it's not so much a fashion issue as it is a safety issue. In a chemical laboratory you cannot wear short skirts or short trousers. You can't wear open shoes or nail polish or fake nails. Also you can't wear synthetic clothing on your lower body. All these are safety rules. So a skirt with nylons is out, but you can wear jeans, because those are cotton. Also trousers or jeans are preferred over long skirts, again because of safety.

Really good video! I wouldn’t even mind a separate video on what trends there are. And maybe what they think of sub culture fashions.

Very informative. I’m always learning something on your channel as you always look beyond the surface. Arigato.

this is a very insightful video. thank you guys for making this!

always interesting to see what the norms are in other countries. thanks for another great video greg!

Gee! If a school told me to cut my knee-long blond hair I would be furious!😵 Thank you ladies for giving an informativ window for japanese fashion. Stay safe!😊

That was so interesting and informative! A big thanks to the lady for sharing their experiences and thoughts on this topic!

Good video series! Looking forward to hearing more. Clothes are definitely a huge reflection on the culture of a place. Would love to hear more social analysis/history on why it's all like this!

I can sorta relate to this despite being from a Chinese family. I've been out of college for more than a year now, and while I do wear business casual to work, my mom never lets me wear makeup and despises lipstick. I feel like I've also become more fashion conscious after I started working. I wear skirts more often and I started wearing high heels after I began working.

Should have mentioned scents/perfumes (or lack thereof). I learned VERY quickly that wearing perfumes that were wafty or projected (even expensive high quality scents) was a BIG no no and that in general, personal products are very delicately scented in Japan compared to other countries. Detergents, soaps, lotions... there's a lot of emphasis on neutrality from my experiences.

i really loved this video! it's always great to see the social norms followed in japan, i always read in mangas about all these kinds of things (like dying hair, recruitment suit, etc) but never really thought that this applied to the modern day japan as well

this was a great interview. thank you!

14:00 I had the reverse experience! Studying abroad in Tokyo made me wanna wear makeup and dress up for class on the daily. But in the states def tshirts and jeans was my norm. Funny how one can pick up these cues and go along with the crowd sometimes unconsciously

In the netherlands there are no fashion rules. I hope in Japan the rules loosen in the future. Respect for the students on how they are coping with these complicated expectations.

Very good video. Very informative. Thanks for uploading.

Great group of ladies. Definitely have them back again!