Are my gifts and clothes ok for winter?

I'll be arriving Tokyo in Dec. I'm planning to give my host family at least 1kg of See's chocolate. After 2nd thought, I think 1kg seems too stingy? Also, is See's a good enough brand to give or should I buy a pricier brand?

I am going to bring Hershey's, Butterfinger, Mars, Twix, Nerds, etc for new friends in Japan. Are these sweets scarce in Japan?

I'm planning to bring 3 waist length coats (1 down, 1 imitation fur, 1 ski). Is it enough?

Please share your experiences. Thanks!

1kg is more than enough- Japanese people do not usually give huge presents, and 1kg seems like a lot to me- I don't think I've ever seen a bag of candy that big.

Will three coats be enough? How long are you staying? I only own three coats, and I live here. One of mine is knee-length though, because I feel the cold in my legs and to me winter is very cold here.

Thanks for replying Sira. I will be in Japan for about 6 months... so up to June. From searching, I found that during the winter Tokyo is about 7C colder than where I currently live (southern california, usa). 3 coats is enough in terms of warmth, but as I will probably be wearing coats from Dec-Mar, ain't I expected to have more?
Maybe I will bring 3 and buy more in Japan. Will I be able to find coats that fit 1.60m/46kg for under $30 (or 3000yen)? Can be either womens or kids coats.

I don't know, for some reason 1kg of chocolates seem somewhat little as I can down them in 2 days if I wanted to. I will listen to you though as you have much more experience about Japanese people.

How many coats you have is up to the individual, how fashion conscious you are and how much money you have to spend etc. I am sure there are people who have dozens. Equally, there are people who wear the same one or two coats throughout winter (and this is closer to normal, I would say). As I say, I have only three real winter coats/jackets. My husband has two jackets, no coats at all. Space is also an issue- winter coats are bulky, and Japanese apartments and closets are not very big.

3,000 yen for a proper winter coat? No, I don't think so. For the very cheapest department store or Uniqlo butt-length jacket you would be looking at 5,000 yen. Longer coats would start at 7,000 yen. Size should not be a problem for you.

I've seen nice winter coats in flea markets for approximately 1000 yen. If buying used stuff is not a problem for you, you may be able to find bargains (you'll need to locate a really good flea market first though). As for the amount of coats, it's up to you, of course. I have one proper outdoor jacket, and it's certainly enough.

Yup, I really meant under 3,000yen for a proper winter coat. Thanks for telling me just at the right time that I wouldn't be able to find them at that price.

So I went to gap kids over the weekend (in usa) and they were doing a 50% outerwear promo. I bought a long down coat for $34 and a wool blend coat for $30. Is Gap more expensive than Uniqlo in Japan?

Is 5,000yen for a kids or womens coat? Also are kids and teens up to 16 clothes in Japan as enormous as those in the US? Girls clothes in the US usually fit up to 167cm, 57kg.

I don't mind 2nd hand clothes as long as they are in pristine condition. $10 for a gently used coat is more than decent. Where to find them?

Thanks!

I wasn't going to comment on this thread but then I was thinking about it - I lived on the outskirts of Yokohama for six years and found that I wore fewer heavy coats than you'd expect, except when I went skiing or up into the mountains. While the weather gets cold, it rarely is cold enough to snow, and the trains and stores are all overheated (in my opinion). The things I wore most were a black calf-length wool coat and a more casual brown fur-lined jacket. My friends seemed to stick to one or two good-quality coats, vice a lot of cheaper ones.

What was more important to me was a good raincoat, as it does rain quite a bit, and good scarves and gloves. You can make a lot of variety in your look with accessories.

You write that you will be staying with a host family - is that the entire time? Are you an exchange student attending school? Are you expecting to travel?

No, Japanese people are not nearly as big as Americans are these days, either height or weight-wise- there are fairly few people here who are even overweight.

The average Japanese adult woman is only about 160cm if that, so no, girl's clothes do not go as large as 167cm and 57kg, nowhere near. That is already a large in Japanese women's clothes.

All the prices I mentioned are for women's clothes.

Gap is expensive here, far more so than Uniqlo. At Uniqlo you might get the cheapest down coat for 7,000 yen or so, it would cost around 3 times that at Gap (I have bought coats at both stores).

"$10 for a gently used coat is more than decent. Where to find them?"

From a flea market, or a recycling store. Where to find a good one, that depends on the city. I don't know about Tokyo. I love second-hand shops - I wish you luck in hunting down a good one! I've bought very good winter clothes for even less that $10 or $5, when the luck has been with me. In the recycling shop I go to now, I haven't bought any winter jackets, but the shirts and skirts I've bought have been around 200 or 300 yen, the most expensive I've bought was 500 yen. All were in great condition!

When I went to US I found I must wear little girl size. I am average height in Japan with many smaller than me and many larger than me girls in Japan. I was surprised to see how big US sizes are. I felt so short. In Japan I am average-160cm.
As for size, I believe that the bone structure is different, it is not just less weight. So the clothes must be smaller.
As for coats, I have two. It is enough. I have one long and one jacket. A raincoat, I agree is most important! In my apartment there might not be room for more than three coats and lots of clothes! Especially since I have a husband who likes fashions. He dresses even cooler than me! ^_^

You write that you will be staying with a host family - is that the entire time? Are you an exchange student attending school? Are you expecting to travel?

Yes, I will be staying with a host family the entire time and will be an exchange student attending school. I'm planning to travel in Spring when the weather is milder. I easily feel cold that's why I have decided to buy more coats.

Spendthrift and Umikohime suggested raincoats. I'm assuming it is common for teens and adults to wear raincoats in Japan? (it's not common for teens and adults to wear raincoats in usa) I personally don't like raincoats because they are a hassle to carry around, esp after they get soaked. Are raincoats worth the trouble to you?

I surfed the uniqlo.jp website. The biggest kids size 160. I fit the age, height, chest and waist measurements for kids 160. But I wonder why they don't list the hip measurement? My waist is 63cm and hips are 87cm, I am wondering whether my hips will give me hard time fitting kids 160? I seem to be a size M in womens pants and S or M in womens tops. You are right Sira, Japanese clothes are small. Womens clothes in the US are usually too big and long for me.

Leather knee high boots: Are they commonly worn by young teens in Japan? I love them, but don't own one yet as they are not common among girls around my age (14). I see them a lot on women in their 20s and 30s around here.

You see some younger teens wearing boots just below the knee, yes. As for a raincoat, people always use them in combination with an umbrella. so they don't really get soaked. I personally don't have a real waterproof raincoat, just a light trenchcoat style one- I just take an umbrella, and wear rain boots (very popular here) if it's raining heavily (which it does fairly often).

As for recycle shops, I have lived in Tokyo for years and I couldn't tell you where a clothing recycle shop is- I don't think I have ever seen one other than the ones in Shibuya and Harajuku which are really expensive, and the brand recycle shops. They are there I'm sure, but not that common.

Flea markets are common, but they are very hit and miss- they are just random people selling their old stuff, so you might find a decent coat, you might not. I notice a few other people have posted saying that they only have two or so coats- that really is the case here, people don't have one for each day of the week, coats are like umbrellas, one or two is plenty.

I don't know about hip measurements, but generally speaking non-Asian women will find Japanese clothing snug on the hips and perhaps thighs. This is doubly so for girls' clothes, as younger teenage girls here tend not to have much of a waist/hips- very straight up-and-down.

Thanks for answering my questions Sira.

I'm also considering slightly over the knee boots (with heels) that could look sleek and sexy when worn with mini skirts. Do many 14 yr old olds wear them like that?

No, I don't see 14-year-old girls here wearing over the knee boots or trying to look sexy in general really.

In any case, I feel that you are over-thinking all of this. Wear what you like, have a look at what people are wearing when you get here, and buy some new stuff if you want to.

Do you know that when I first came to Japan 13 years ago there was no internet? I had no idea what people there wore or what I could buy, yet somehow I survived and didn't have to go naked. I'm sure you'll be fine ;-)

Well, there ARE schools that don't require uniforms, but most of them do...so most ofyour daily outfits will be decided for you already unless you are doing some kind of exchange where you are going to wear your street clothes.

14-year-olds seem younger in Japan than in the U.S. If you plan to look sleek and sexy you will be very out-of-place.

Schoolkids also have very scheduled days; school, homework, possibly juku (after-school school) take up most time that other kids spend worrying about their clothes.

You can be certain that if you do attend a school where you don't have to wear a uniform, that over-the-knee boots with heels will not be an acceptable part of the dress code.

When thinking about what kind of shoes to bring, remember that you are likely to be doing a lot more walking than you are now.

My Japanese tutor (who is in her early 20s) was the one who aroused my interest in high-heeled over the knee boots.

The first time I saw her wearing them last week, she looked cooler than usual. Unlike UGGs, over the knee leather boots compliment legs.

I don't plan on trying hard to look sleek and sexy. I am not even planning to bring or buy make-up. But it's always a plus if can look good without trying that hard (such as just by putting a pair of over the knee boots paired with a mini skirt + a tight-fitting top).

I like to mimick the styles of 20 year olds, but modify them with juvenile looking pieces. Think of Abercromibe and abercrombie kids. abercrombie kids is probably as sexy as Abercrombie, but more juvenile looking.

Some 20-somethings will wear that kind of boots- they are definitely not to everyone's taste though. It's kind of an interesting fashion to see, as when I was growing up those boots were usually associated with prostitutes (have a look on the net for info about a Julia Roberts movie called "Pretty Woman", if you don't know it).

As for Abercrombie, that brand has only just arrived in Japan, so many of us will not be familiar with it, myself included.