Women's Fashion in Tokyo

I was scrolling endlessly through Ragtag's online store and spotted a jacket perfect for the autumn. Being a conservative shopper, I hesitated, looking at other clothes to buy more time. When I clicked checkout five minutes later, the jacket's photo had faded to gray - sold out. Nooo. I texted my husband, "I'm a little depressed bc this jacket sold out right before I was able to check out online. It's not easy to find clothes I like this much here." The story ends happily: an hour later, I went to look at the jacket's photo one last time. Lo and behold, it was back in stock. I bought it immediately. Such is the emotional rollercoaster of online shopping. I don't do it often. 

I am a mismatch for Japanese fashion. Still, I can find nice basics at Uniqlo. When I want something a little different, something special, I go to Ragtag. Ragtag is a large consignment store. It has a more eclectic collection of clothes, shoes, and accessories than any one retail store. Since everything is used, prices are a fraction of the original. Clothing sales here are neither as ubiquitous nor as steep as they are in America. Moreover, used goods are usually in great, and sometimes impeccable, condition. People really respect and care for their belongings here (Marie Kondo kind of encapsulates this spirit). If you visit Japan, thrift stores and consignment shops are great places to find unique gifts and souvenirs. 

The Everyday Look

This section is about mainstream styles I see on the streets everyday. Barring nuances, I would generally describe it as loose, boxy, and layered. Even in the summer, you will see a tunic shirt layered over loose pants, or a loose vest layered over a long-sleeved shirt. Here are some common looks.

Uniqlo

Gu

Uniqlo

I suppose it is a variation on the international trend of loose clothes, such as straight legged and barrel legged jeans. 

Ultra-feminine clothing is very popular, especially among young women, though I would say that women's clothing of all ages are distinctly feminine. You can see lots of pleats, pastels, bows, puffs, and lace (not black lace, more like powdery blue or white lace). This is the kawaii aesthetic: cute, feminine, and even child-like. Reina Triendl is a popular TV personality who epitomizes the kawaii aesthetic. When I first saw her, I thought she could pass for a high school student. In reality, she is 30 years old.  

You will also notice that female newscasters tend to wear more flowing dresses and fewer power pants. 

Not the greatest example, but you get the gist.

Makeup

The natural no-makeup look is totally not a thing in Japan. This is interesting, because traditional Japanese aesthetics pivots on the notion of appreciating imperfection. This is called wabi-sabi. It is rooted in Buddhism, which honors the transience and imperfection of nature. Think of traditional Japanese pottery or a zen garden. 

I don't think wabi-sabi extends to facial beauty. Japanese women wear makeup almost universally, and the makeup is meant to conceal all perceived imperfections. Most Japanese makeup tutorials have you shadowing your face to make your nose look longer, narrower, and higher. Some show you how to use eyeliner to create the illusion of an extra fold in your eyelid. 

Ultimately, I think, makeup is less a means of individual expression or creativity and more about looking put together and beautiful (by standards determined by the collective society). Both the skincare and beauty industries in Japan are mega. 

Hair

Similarly, the natural tousled hair won't garner much appreciation. Everyone is perfectly coiffed. Some hairstyles are meant to look perfect while others are a bit more creative. No matter the hairstyle, you can tell that it was intentional. It is the apparent intentionality that is appreciated. This is very interesting to me, because I am more familiar with cultures that celebrate effortless beauty. On the contrary, in Japan, the time and effort you spend to make yourself presentable is a marker of respect for the people around you. So it's not a bad thing to look like you have tried hard to look good. 

On that note, it must not come as a surprise that athleisure is not popular in Japan. I am totally ok with this, because I only wear exercise clothes when I am exercising. However, my hair and makeup are giveaways that I am probably not Japanese. 

These are just the most common styles I see. I wish I had the nerve to take photos of people wearing interesting things on the street to show you! If you are still curious, you can visit these Youtube channels to get a better idea:

TsurisaKitcheninParis

Reina Triendl's Channel

The End of Spring & a Visit to Hibiya Park

It's hard to believe that we are already halfway through 2021. It is also hard to believe that the world has been living with Covid-19 for almost a year and a half now. When our daycare first shut down in March 2020, I thought the pandemic would blow over, in the worst cast scenario, in a few months. It seems ludicrously naive now. These days, it is hard to imagine what the new "normal" world will be like post-Covid-19. Right now, though, spring is already ending, and there is still so much to enjoy. 

The weather has warmed up rather slowly with most days being in the low to mid 70s Fahrenheit. That is a good thing, because Tokyo in the summer is almost unbearably humid and hot. Last week, there was a four day stretch of rain. It seemed like a premature precursor to rainy season, but fortunately it was a false alarm, as the following week has been dry. My commute to school on a rainy morning: 

Rainy season starts from June and lasts until July. As the name implies, it rains a lot and becomes really humid. I have no idea how people dry their clothes without tumble dryers during rainy season. 

I accidentally left my summer clothes behind, so I went clothes shopping for myself for the first time. I went to Uniqlo to buy just a few staples. Did you know that sizing is different at Uniqlo stores here? As you might guess, sizing runs small here. A small is about the same size as an American medium. Uniqlo Japan also has self checkout, which I have never seen at Uniqlos in the U.S.. At each register, there is a space to place your basket. Once you do, it automatically scans, calculates, and provides your total within a couple of seconds. The first time I did this, I thought the items were left from the previous customer, because I hadn't scanned anything. I went to a second machine, and when the same thing happened, I realized. It is pretty amazing. 

This past weekend, we visited Hibiya Park in the Ginza neighborhood. Although Ginza is known for being a flashy district for high-end shopping, Hibiya Park is a stark contrast to that. The park is filled with tall trees and endless bushes of flora. We saw lots of lilies and hydrangeas, which are also everywhere in the city. In the center is a pond. It is a beautiful green space in the center of the city. 

There is also a playground at the edge of the park. The playground has some interesting equipment, including what appears to be a set of gymnastic rings. Some of the equipment are meant for adults - they bear signs stating this. You can tell that all the equipment date a few decades back. the old and unusual equipment lent the playground a nostalgic, whimsical feel. Despite this, it is well-kept and still very much relevant, with tons of kids and families playing there. 

Close to the park is Tokyo Station, a mega station with tons of shops and restaurants. It has separate sections that you can access only by paying a couple of dollars for a train pass. It is definitely impressive for a train station, but not worth a trip by itself. On the weekends it is less crowded. However, some restaurants are also closed. The most interesting thing I saw there was this contraption below located in the family toilet room, which was incredibly large, clean, and well-designed. 

What is this? Can you guess? I don't have the answer. My best guess is a urinal, though it is a bit too high. it has a faucet and a soap dispenser, but also a flush option. A urinal/wash bin hybrid perhaps? Very intriguing. 

After a hot day in the sun, we tucked into a delicious cold dinner of sashimi, with a side of eel and small fried sardines. This is all from the grocery store. Almost any grocery store will have sashimi. Of course, the quality is better at some than others, though in my experience, it has never been poor. 

A beautiful sunset to accompany dinner:

Next week, my brother-in-law's family arrive in Tokyo. Three of the four kids are staying for most of the summer while the youngest, Cousin M, will be staying with her father for three weeks. There are no exceptions yet for people who are vaccinated, so they all must quarantine for the requisite two weeks upon arrival. Cousin M is the same age as E, and we can't wait for the festivities to begin. 

A Day of Shopping

We wake up to a beautiful morning. The weather is now definitively springlike even though spring is technically still a few weeks away. On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji from our balcony. Can you spot it in the photo?

Neither Hiro nor I have started working yet, so the morning is another slow one. We eat what is now a typical breakfast of yogurt, fruits, muesli, and toast. Breakfast service and getting ready for the day takes over an hour. By the time we are ready to go, it is nearly half past nine. 

Today we decide to go to my mother-in-law's so L can practice the piano. She had her first lesson on Monday. We enrolled her in a few trial lessons to see how she likes it. If she does like it, we would consider getting a piano. It is still too early to tell. For now, L will practice on her grandma's piano. 

It is about a 15 minute walk there. In Chicago, L scooted around the neighborhood for fun. In Tokyo, it is an essential mode of transportation for her. Without it, the 15 minute walk would become a 20 minute walk.

Walking past the shrine just next door to our building. 

A nice day like today is a perfect one for doing laundry. It was raining the last couple of days, so today there are lots of laundry drying on balconies. 

Piano "practice" lasts for two minutes. We eat a quick lunch with Hiro's grandma before heading to the department store. L is starting school in April, and we have a bunch of school things to buy. She will be wearing a uniform and needs black shoes to go with it. She also needs rain boots, a backpack, and a swim suit. 

We head to the shoe section first. Japanese department stores seem to be thriving compared to their American counterparts. There are definitely differences in shopping culture. For one, returns are limited if allowed at all. Perhaps because of this, in person shopping is very much alive. You are more likely to spend both more money and time buying a pair of shoes, but you are also more likely to take home a suitable pair of shoes. 

Forty-five minutes later, we have a pair of black leather shoes and a pair of rain boots. 

I still have to pick up a few random household things and get groceries, so school shopping ends here. But first, a snack. On the restaurant floor, we stop by a Hawaiian restaurant, which are really popular in Tokyo. Here is the "snack" we order:

The food section is located on the basement level and divided into three subsections: groceries, prepared foods, and gift foods. Fruits are a popular gifts, so these are mostly meant to be gifted. $40-50 for a cantaloupe. $50 for a watermelon. It will never cease to be shocking. 

Buying some seafood for dinner.

Prepared foods, ranging from Chinese to sushi to salads and much more. We pick up nikuman / baozi / steamed buns and potstickers from the Chinese stand. 

Here we are at Maison Kayser, my favorite of the many, many boulangeries in Tokyo. 

It is not easy making my way through the department store, confronted by one temptation after another. We finally do, laden with shoes, cleaning supplies, stationary, groceries, takeaway, and baked goods. 

Dinner prep is easy because I bought sashimi. We stew some pumpkin (kabocha), sauté the brussel sprouts, and plate the sashimi. Everything is on the light side, so I supplement by heating up potstickers from the Chinese takeaway station. A semi-homecooked meal. 

Then, finally, it is time to unwind and enjoy the sunset.