How should I dress in Japan

I'll be going to Japan for the first time and I would like to roughly know what is considered appropriate and not appropriate to wear in Japan. I don't want to come across as rude or vulgar to other Japanese people. Please help me!

Normal Western-style clothing is fine in Japan. Are you worried about your usual clothing style? Do you think you dress unusually? Knowing what you consider normal dress would help in this case.

Good question. I've been to a few countries where foreigners think it's fine to where next to nothing when in fact it is quite a conservative traditional culture.
Japan - can be conservative, but also quite out there at the same time. Anything is fine.
Saw some foreign guys mid-nineties wearing skirts and you get all the sub-cultures and more, you get in the western world.

same like in most european countries:
* if you consider to have a day full of temple visiting, then i would recommend some more formal attire (e.g. trousers, shirt) same like you would do if you go for a church visiting day
* if you walk on mountains wear mountain gear
* if you go on the beach were some beach wear.
* if you run around shopping in the city wear what you like
* if sit in the onsen, come naked.

simple as that.

Majority of my clothes are rather decent.

-My shorts are cover around 1/3 of my thighs.
-My skirts' length ranges from knee length to about the same length as my shorts.
-My dresses are all rather decent. Except a few. I do cover them up with a jacket or cardigan should they be too revealing.
-I personally do not have any shirts that show my midriff. But I do have some with low neck lines and have quite a few tank tops.

Showing cleavage is discouraged. The chest area is private and usually not shown.

What to wear in Japan is more a matter of practicality than fashion (to me, anyway). What you wear depends on where you are going and what you plan to do. Most of this will be common sense, ie. if you are visiting a shrine on a holiday or just shopping, dress accordingly. However, if you plan to hang at Harajuku on Sunday morning, anything goes.

http://katieandbeninjapan.blogspot.ca/2012/10/tourists-in-japan-what-t...

Japanese girls wear very short skirts, generally, so no problem there.
It is true that it is very rare to see cleavage, but I don't think you would have any issues if you do (I have lots of low-cut tshirts and although I do get some stares sometimes, it's not that big of a deal).

Japan is a tolerant society. You wear what you want.

That said, people in the cities dress smart. Even wearing open-toed shoes or not bringing any leggings to wear will make you wish you'd known better.

-My shorts are cover around 1/3 of my thighs.
-My skirts' length ranges from knee length to about the same length as my shorts.
-My dresses are all rather decent. Except a few. I do cover them up with a jacket or cardigan should they be too revealing.
-I personally do not have any shirts that show my midriff. But I do have some with low neck lines and have quite a few tank tops.

Sounds like your fashion is perfectly average for Japan. And I wouldn't be too concerned about cleavage, its not as uncommon as this thread may lead you to think.

Personally I think it depends on where you go.
I feel in Hokkaido, rural parts of Japan largely, people tend to be more conservative than in fashonable Osaka and Tokyo.
But the trend is also changing. With the influx of tourists you really can't tell whether they are local or tourist. Well some are really easy from their mannerism.
Bring your Long sleeve whenever you go. It helps to cut strong uv also :)

Your clothes sounds fine but probably if you're wearing your short shorts or skirt don't wear a top that has a plunging neckline to go with it. I think universally it's a good rule that if you're showing off your legs you should cover up your top half or if you're showing off your top half, cover your legs.

Just FYI, some friends visiting from America often wore low-cut tops (nothing outrageous by Western standards) and received a lot of nasty looks and glares from older Japanese women when riding the trains.

They would probably the the same nasty looks and glares from older American women also when riding American trains.

Honestly, Japan seems to be okay with showing off leg; however, the chest is a little different.
You will get quite a few stares and comments about how you are showing your chest. This only really seems to be an issue if you are well endowed though.

I'm not a female, but have in the past lived and travelled in Japan for a reasonable amount of times. In general, wear what you would at home if it would be considered acceptable.

The comment about showing your chest is correct in general - specifically for skin though. This is also true in Taiwan and Korea.

When visiting shrines and temples, just don't go specially racy (hotpants for girls. wife beaters and speedoes for boys as an example) and you'll be fine. If you were going to visit some churches in Europe - wear the same as that! However - I do suggest taking shoes which can be easily taken on and off if you visit quite a few temples in a day

Just wear whatever you want, unless you're studying or working. Japan is probably a country with one of the least dress codes.

And I'm a Japanese woman and resident, and the chest thing actually has more to do with the wearer being shy rather than it being unacceptable or what not.

Most girls/women simply think it might be too show-y unless they're truly confident about the shape and size and figure of their body. In other words, showing off your skin kind of implies that you want to shout out loud that you have a great body.

On the other hand, girls with great bodies or women who want to dress up for a special night out, do show their chests and other body features.

For that reason, if you're showing too much of your breats, waist or hips, people may think, "Oh, I bet she's going some place nice." or "Wow, I guess she's confident about her body." and sometimes respond in that manner.

It's not that it's unaccepted in sacred places either, exept that most shrines and temples are surrounded by trees, so you tend to attract mosquito bites if you show too much of your skin.

The other thing is that locals (including foreign residents) prefer to look stylish in the city, so dressing like you're fresh out of a beach resort in a commercial district will obviously make you look like a foreign tourist that you are.

Also, carrying a light cloth or cardigan helps when the airconditioning is too harsh.

Thanks guys