Walking shorts

Have the Japaneses started to wear walking shorts in public ?.

The Japaneses have been wearing walking shorts in public almost ever since they have been invented. Howeve, the time, place and occasion can be slightly different than some other countries.

I just passed a man wearing walking shorts on my way home from the supermarket. It's not really an unusual thing to see in the suburbs, it would be more unusual somewhere like Ginza though.

Just blasted back from Tokyo - Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, Akihabara, Hibiya, Imperial Palace, etc.

Basically, generally most people are working in the city, so no, you won't see them wear shorts - just suits.

Visitors/Tourists, yep, and they stand out like the tourists they are anyways.

The younger Japanese can get away with more casual jeans and such, but still, you're not going to see a lot of shorts percentage wise during the day.

Japanese travellers - generally, no. Almost all of them are doing the standard shirt, pants, small bag or backpack-style you'll see them wear.

Hot? Yep, and even with the recent 25C weather in Tokyo, you'll see more men in suits and women with sweaters than you'll ever see a person in shorts. (Wierd, yep! I'm burning up and they're what? Cold as can be under the toasty sun? But sweaters it is....)

However, I would not worry about this point - just wear the shorts and be comfy like I was. Otherwise, expect to sweat a lot in hot pants travelling Tokyo!

In this season the number of people wearing shorts would be quite low, but come July and the real heat and humidity there will be more.

I also noticed this week that a lot of people were still in sweaters and several layers even though it was warm- I usually break out the sandals and short sleeves as soon as I can, but Japanese people seem to prefer to cover up, even when it gets very hot.

On the other hand, when I am wrapping myself up like the abominable snowman in winter there are lots of people in Tokyo (especially young women) who look underdressed to me. Fashion before comfort, perhaps.

Well, to visitors, "most places in Tokyo" are Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Asakusa, Akihabara, Hibiya, Imperial Palace, etc., and most office workers need to wear suits, but at most places in Tokyo which are places like Shakujii, Mitaka, Gakugeidaigaku and many other little neighborhoods, probably more than half the people wear some kind of short shorts on hot holidays. Of course, even in mid winter, those who walk or jog for their health often wear walking shorts. You could see many at the Tokyo Marathon.

Sorry, couldn't help it :)

Agree with Uco. Shorts are casual wear, therefore you are much more likely to see them in the suburbs than anywhere else. In summer in the long riverside park near where I live, it is fairly common to see guys jogging or sunbathing in just shorts, i.e. no shirt. I wouldn't expect to see that in Ginza though.

Actually if you are near the Imperial Palace around lunchtime, you will see plenty of people in shorts- it's a popular jogging trail.

The only people wearing shorts that I see are foreigners. In fact, I was wearing short today. :)

Thanks to all for responding to my question. I guess I'll have to wear long pants when I visit Japan in May.

I was in Tokyo one September, when the heat and humidity were awful. I was dying to wear shorts but didn't wanted to look like a typical ugly male foreigner tourist. I moved to Osaka a few days later and did wear my shorts (they stop right under the knees so they aren't indecent or whatever,especially compared to the "hot pants" shorts of the 1970s that even John Wayne wore). A few male Osakans of all ages wore short at the time. The long and "short" of it is that if the heat is too much for you ..wear shorts..regardless of the month.

While it's mainly younger Japanese males that wear casual shorts in summer, it's not true to say that just about the only people who wear shorts are foreigners!!!!

Japanese girls/women wear fashion shorts right the way through winter (short shorts), and tend to wear tight shorts just above knee high in summer. In fact, I'd say the single largest group of people who wear shorts in Japan are 16-25 year old women!!!!

Ben sounds like a guys name, but maybe he was asking about women's fashions. I agree, women/girls have fun with shorts.

If you wear shorts that come near your knees anywhere in Tokyo in the warmer seasons, you absolutely won't look like an "ugly foreigner". You won't be offending anyone by wearing them, so by all means go ahead- wear what is comfortable for you.

Metallic hot pants are probably not a good idea, but khaki walking shorts are completely innocuous- don't suffer in long pants in the heat when there is absolutely no reason to.

I think the Japanese will know you are a foreigner. So wear shorts if you want.

Even if you wont see Japanese ppl wearing shorts in central city, thats is, as many other posters say, because shorts are so casual that we wear them only around suburban residencial area and we seldom come to business or entertainment district with them on.

but you don need to mind, its ok for you to walk around city center with shorts.