What do Japanese people wear?

[lottieandmia]

Dd (aged 9) came home from school with this question to answer. So I told her to write that Japanese people wear what we wear (a quick google to show this confirmed this to her)

However, it seems the teacher was after a different answer involving some elaborate costume. AIBU to think this is not a good approach?

Kimono is very rarely worn, however they do (did 15 years ago?) wear a lot of yukata and samue during their spare time. Every day they dress the same as us, they have a very british school uniform and some people dresses as their favourite cartoon characters...

Erm, clothes.

FWIW I saw more people in cosplay clothing than traditional dress whilst in Tokyo. In fact I think I only saw one lady in traditional dress.

I DARE you to tell your daughter thats how the Japanese dress and get her to tell the teacher that!

She can write a lot about what they wear without using stereotypes. People have given you good examples here.

Anyone else getting deja vu? I swear I've read this thread before! I had to check the date on it to make sure it wasn't old

But was it part of other questions about different cultures clothing and you only were asked about the Japanese.

The teacher was expecting stereotypes though Amy.

Popular Japanese fashion to scare teachers

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion

Ah because of the elaborate costume bit? I get you, sorry, missed that the first time

I lived in Japan for 5 years.

In Spring/Summer men and women wear Yukatas-cotton Kimonos. These are worn but loads of people at the many summer festivals.

Silk Kimonos are worn for very formal occasions like weddings/funerals.

I'm with you OP, the teacher was being twatty and seemingly expecting stereotypical clothing, which would be traditional/ceremonial/etc. Not day to day outfits, which aren't so drastically different to ours

Buy her a copy of FRUiTS and let her take that in

I really don't think it is hard to write about this without sinking into stereotype and also answering the teacher.

For example:

Day-to-day, Japanese people mostly dress as we do. However, what they wear for important occasions is different. They may wear a kimono to festivals such as shichi-go-san when girls of three and seven years of age and boys of five years of age are taken by their parents to a Shintō shrine.

A kimono is a long, loose robe with wide sleeves and tied with a sash.

There is a casual type which is sometimes worn more frequently called a yukata.

The most formal type of kimono is a junihitoe. These are very heavy. The one Princess Masako wore to her wedding weighed more than 12 kilos.

My half Japanese son is still wearing his school uniform.

Yeah, the teacher wants the kimono thing. Maybe DD can talk about that being for special occasions. She could say they don't wear shoes in the house, they wear slippers, and they have special toilet slippers. The teacher might like that.

Though agree the teacher asked the question badly, I wouldn't let that stop you from helping your daughter.

I think your daughter was half right. Japanese people do wear t-shirts and jeans but they also wear traditional kimonos for special occasions. I think she was being a bit lazy with her answer.

The homework is not due yet, mynewpassion. I told her to say that because I think it's important for her to know that. But this thread has given me some ideas for how she could present this properly so thanks to all who have contributed.

...Or the teacher didn't make the question clear.

A question on the clothing of modern day Japanese people wouldn't lead me straight down the kimono route tbh.

actually itvis an interesting subject. I didn't know about the toilet slippers. Does everyone in the family have their own toilet slippers?

Also what would a Japanese woman wear to a formal partyy which does not have a religious element to it?

Thing is, you're going to have to go for broad ideas, once you delve into teenage and alternative subcultures you'd be there all bloody day!

Superdry?

not japanese apparently 2 guys from home counties ( i think) started it

OP id go for KImono although young japanese girls and women go for the school girl look dont they

I don't think the teacher was looking for a different answer, just a more complete answer.

Some wear Kimono on a daily basis - I've read that you can get free subway travel in Tokyo if you're wearing traditional dress.

The in-laws had several slippers at the front door for guests and, some slippers by the loo.

Many Westerners visiting a Japanese home make the dreadful faux pas of forgetting to change from toilet slippers to normal slippers and then wear the toilet slippers into the living area. Argh.

Evening dress, I reckon.

RTFT mrsjay beat you to it on page 1

Our house had spare indoor slippers for guests. You changed it to the one pair of toilet slippers. Also there were kitchen slippers - adult and child sized.