Weather

This will depend on the season and where you are going so I will share tips for summer and winter in Tokyo.

Summer - June to Mid October, around 30 deg C

• Tokyo summers are getting insanely brutal. In the past few years, I have been all over South East Asia / South Asia, but Tokyo in my opinion has been the second worst after India.
• I would just say, just prepare for the worst and avoid being outside for too long.
• I wouldn’t necessarily suggest wearing minimal clothing, but rather find ways to stay cool whether that be avoiding spending too much time outdoors, buying “cooling wipes” (try getting a pack), drinking lots of cold water, buying a mini fan etc.
  • This is because having a lot of skin exposure will make it sticky and uncomfortable in crowded spaces.

Winter - Mid November to March, lowest is around 0 or -2 deg C

• Although the temperature is not the worst, Japanese buildings are not heated like North American buildings so it will overall feel much colder than you would expect.
• I would recommend an outfit with a combination of a winter coat, gloves, longer socks, long pants, a heat-tech top, sweater, and maybe a scarf.
• I have never needed thick socks, a Canada Goose type coat, or long johns in Tokyo.

Culture

Although Shintoism and Buddhism influence a lot of Japanese culture, Japan is a secular country. There are no religious rules regulating clothing, however, you may notice that Japanese people dress relatively conservatively (as in they do not over-expose skin).

What you wear is obviously completely up to you, but here are some common practices outside of Japan I usually avoid when I go home for my own comfort.

• Not wearing a bra. Unfortunately, people will stare.
• Wearing pajamas outdoors.
• Tops that expose a lot of my back. (It just gets sticky on crowded trains.)