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?

I'm in - I haven't been for years...

They would stay in the loo - and The bath and the loo would not be in the same room.

like those sailor suits, very 1920s which is my favourite era. I'd love to go to Japan - bit scared of the Tokyo metro and being prodded in with a stick. Dd says we should go to Osaka but I have forgotten why now

lottieandmia
"The teacher was expecting stereotypes though Amy"

She may be expecting stereotypes so that she can discuss them in class.

further down the thread re not taking soap into the bath, I take it you soap yourself down and wash it off first (where?) and then you get into the bath clean, more for relaxation.

Wondering now what Japanese people think about our homes, lack of toilet slippers etc. I expect they find them unhygienic

I have never been probed in the tokyo metro, if you are visiting (I lived up north) you would be a fool to go into rush hour... honestly if you are prepare the metro is not scary or difficult...
I am in too...
hummm sushi hummm miso soba hummm yakitori and beer....hummm

Yes, you wash yourself first and then get in. The whole family will use the same bath water - in descending order of seniority, so it is important not to get it dirty.

I have rescued a large crying man from a Tokyo metro station. Just needed to get him near a wall where he could calm down and get away from the crowd that do all push and don't do the western "sorry, sorry, sorry" thing.

Japanese toilets have to be experienced to fully appreciate how nuts they are about toilets compared to us. They have sound effects, never mind worrying about hygiene!

Google Yoyogi Park Tokyo and tell the teacher that how high school children unwind each Sunday.

DH thinks we're gross, ZZZ. I wore my shoes upstairs the other day. He was disgusted with me :o.

Not long till our next trip!

Yes, soap first, then rinse off - it would be a mini wet room situation - then get in bath once clean.

Some would find the western ways a bit yuck. I found the sharing of slippers and baths a bit odd tho so works both ways.

My Japanese grandmother used to say "The English, so lovely, if you act like you have Victorian manners you will never get it wrong in England or Japan".

Mind you, she also used to say things like "look at Harry Belafonte, he just shows a black man can be good looking, who would have thought?"

And yet, re. Toilets, some were worse I'd ever seen - filthy squat ones. Land of contradictions blah blah.

A kimono is the most uncomfortable item of clothing known to humankind. A yukata comes close second. I know this from wearing them intermittently for 3 years! Geta are great though but they do make a noise! I miss it all in a strange way!

Oh, and she always went on about how all white people look the same. The differing hair colours and textures, and the differing eye colours do not detract from their uniformity, apparently.

God I miss those toilets! Noise to hide sounds, nice smelly spray, heated seats, a bidet with temperature control

RedTooth - and don't forget warm as well! Lovely when it's -1 outside and you need to leave your warm futon and switch the kerosene heater on

thisisaeuphemism, I'm interested. I never saw a dirty toilet in Japan, honestly, and I lived there for 3 years. Where were you and when?

I have never seen a dirty one either. Have lived in Tokyo, Kobe and on Shikoku.

I have seen really horrendous ones elsewhere in Asia.

White people do all look the same ;)

Japan is SO interesting.

What kind of sound effects do the toilets have - music, birdsong?

The ones I used had flushing noises like running water. Volume control too so you could hide (ahem) larger noises too.