How strict are Japanese parents?

Hi all

I will be leaving for Japan in just 4 days! During my stay there I will be staying with a host family for 4 nights. I would like to show them photos of my friends and I but was wondering would their parents approve of me hanging out around mixed genders? (me hanging out with boys). Also, do Japanese parents allow their daughters to wear crop tops?! My host sister asked me to bring her some fashion from my country and am last minute deciding on whether I should buy her a few crop tops! Thank you :)

In short, yes for photos, no for crop tops.
If there is only one guy in the photo, they might think it is your boyfriend. Showing too much cleavage and belly is not good in Japan, so prefer to avoid this kind of clothes. Wearing short skirts and pants is totally ok.

ok, thank you! the photo i am thinking of is me sitting down with a guy and another one of our guy friends standing up :) i thought i'd show them because one of the guys is japanese haha

I'm a Japanese mom who probably belong to your parents' generation, and I would say go ahead.

Photos are fine as long as you use common sense. I'm sure you're not bringing photos of you kissing with various men. Or at least you will show those kinds of photos only to your friend and not to her parents.

It's totally normal to have both male and female classmate friends here in Japan. They hang out and share food, so if it's within that kind of an atmosphere, don't worry about it.

I wouldn't worry about crop tops either. I'm sure your friend is expecting them if that is the fashion you guys love to wear. It's up to her parents to tell her to keep them in her drawers, or to wear them only at home, or to wear something on top of them, but that's her family's business. A lot of teenagers in Japan do wear crop tops too, and even a lot of parents give approval.

Think about what your parents would approve of, and do that. You're bringing in your culture and as long meet the standards of your own culture, don't worry about it.