Would I be considered overweight in Japan?

I really want to visit Japan once covid is more calmed down but I’ve gained a bit of weight since the summer started and I’m concerned they’ll view me as slightly larger in Japan. I’m 5’7 and a half and weigh about 117-18lbs. I naturally look slender and I’m not big boned, but I have put about 7 pounds in the past two months. Would I be considered overweight? If so or if not and in general what weight should I try and achieve?

Hello Jules!

You don´t have to worry about your weight, which is completly fine!
My weight ist around the same as yours, and I had no problems to buy clothes in Japan.

Sometimes the lenght of sleeves or the hem of a skirt are a little bit shorter, but thats it! :-)

Greetings,
VioB

Average weight. Nothing to woery about.

You are not overweight in the slightest. I have to be concerned that you consider 53 kilos (117 pounds) at 170 cm to possibly be "overweight" - you actually have an underweight BMI (which I know is not the best way to measure health, but it can be a useful basic measure).

I am shorter and have a slightly higher weight than you, and get along just fine in Japan. As a foreign traveller, the Japanese are extremely unlikely to make comments about your weight, and yours is certainly nothing to be concerned about in that respect.

Even if you would be considered overweight, what do you fear? People want treat you differently(ok maybe slightly if you get closer), you should be able to date if that‘s what you‘re looking for.

At 5'7'' and 18 pounds, no, you wouldn't be considered overweight by Japanese social standards, especially since you mention that you don't have a "big-boned" frame. As such, your weight won't attract any attention or comments, so if that's something you were worried about and potentially keeping you from panning a trip to Japan, you can put your mind at ease.

Contrary to what you might see in the media or think about Japan, there are still lots of very over-weight people here. Your concern about your weight is misplaced.

Your weight is fine, though it appears you are a bit on the slim side. So how men in Japan might react to that depends on your overall style, figure as a woman, and muscle tone. Women are built differently, so some shapes are more appealing to a higher percentage of men than others.

It's been my experience that many Japanese men don't have the expectation for foreign women (White or Black) to be of the same built or shape as the native Japanese women. There can be the expectation or acceptance of a more voluptuous or shapely built. This can be considered something different and more excitement. Though for foreign Asian women, they can be judged or expected to be built in a similar way as Japanese women. Yes, there appears to be a bit of a double-standard.

At 5'7 (170cm or so), you will be a bit taller than the average woman in Japan. That is where you might run into some problems, where some guys will feel intimidated by the height (in addition to being White or Black).

Something to be strongly aware of, is that in various foreign countries women are used to being approached by guys, even to the extent they are getting excessive unwanted attention. To adapt to this, various foreign women are used to walking around in public with mean faces or having an unfriendly attitude, as a kind of filter. In Japan, this can mean a dating disaster, as many Japanese men will simply not approach them and stay away. To include Japanese men that such foreign women are very interested in.

I would suggest, if you are wanting to be successful with Japanese men, to have an attitude where you are friendly and approachable. Though I understand it can be hard to have this approach for various foreign women, it can be to your advantage to not be afraid to send signals or initiate conversations with Japanese men you feel attracted to.

I wanted to add, for clarification, if a woman is truly overweight then they can definitely run into dating problems while in Japan. A person should be honest with themselves, and be aware of their body condition based on fitness level, BMI (as a guide), muscle tone, and body fat.

Yes, if you are a truly overweight woman, it will be much more difficult to be successful with Japanese guys. However, there is always a certain percentage of men (even among the Japanese) that are more accepting of heavier women. Such women will have to do more to compensate (personality, money split on dates, fashion, etc...) and/or have a greater capability of identifying those men that might be interested.

I wonder why so many PPs think that the OP is coming to Japan to date men. She only said she wants to travel to Japan…

"...I’m concerned they’ll view me as slightly larger in Japan..."

When a person is concerned about how others will view them, it's reasonable to draw the conclusion that at least one of the reasons would be about dating or being seen as attractive. Not saying such would be the only reason, but it's not a wild leap in logic or anything outrageous.