footwear/dress for japan?
 

we are travelling to japan in august, and wonder if sleeveless dresses/shirts for women are appropriate? also, i have heard that open toed shoes (which are of course the most comfortable!) are problematic to walk in because of loose pebbles. any insight would be greatly appreciated. Arrigato!

Cathy, <BR>Overall the japanese dress more conservatively than western women but as long as the sleeveless attire is not "tacky" you would have no problem at all and would not be out of place. If you are going to a house of worship such as a shrine or temple something to cover your shoulders would be appropriate. As for footwear a lot of the walking surface is uneven so waer whatever is the most comfortable for that. <BR>Rgds <BR>Michael

Wear what is comfortable. Most middle-aged and older Japanese are in fact conservative. The younger generation makes our "hip-hop" kids look conservative! Their hair is every color of the rainbow and then some. They can dress to extremes also. I saw an awful lot of short dresses/skirts with "big shoes". <BR>As an American Tourist, you can get away with wearing anything! But I agree that when you visit one of their shrines you should be dressed conservatively. <BR>P.S. Have an umbrella... I was there last week and the rainy season was just beginning.

Cathy, <BR> Dan has answered your questions to a T! I have lived in Japan for over two years and wearing sleeveless attire is practically a must in August! Loose pebbles do cover quite a bit of the ground around the temples, so wear shoes that you'll be steady in. As in any other culture, when visiting a place of worship you should be respectful in what you wear. In case you didn't know, July and August are climbing season for Mt. Fuji, if that is something you would want to accomplish! I hope I was of some help and have a great trip! <BR>

Cathy, <BR> Dan has answered your questions to a T! I have lived in Japan for over two years and wearing sleeveless attire is practically a must in August! Loose pebbles do cover quite a bit of the ground around the temples, so wear shoes that you'll be steady in. As in any other culture, when visiting a place of worship you should be respectful in what you wear. In case you didn't know, July and August is climbing season for Mt. Fuji, if that is something you would want to accomplish! I hope I was of some help and have a great trip! <BR>

Cathy, <BR> Dan has answered your questions to a T! I have lived in Japan for over two years and wearing sleeveless attire is practically a must in August! Loose pebbles do cover quite a bit of the ground around the temples, so wear shoes that you'll be steady in. As in any other culture, when visiting a place of worship you should be respectful in what you wear. In case you didn't know, July and August is climbing season for Mt. Fuji, if that is something you would like to accomplish! I hope I was of some help and have a great trip! <BR>

Cathy: I am here for my third stay in Tokyo and will be here in August. Most of the other replies have been generally accurate. I would only add that Japan can be quite hot, 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit, with rather high humidity. <BR>I think you should be aware of that and <BR>dress accordingly. If you are interested and need more information, feel free to email me directly.