Hairy arms, big deal? No big deal?

Me and a friend are going to japan this summer, and she is having a personal dilema over her hairy arms, and she thinks the people there will stare her down because of it. (she thinks all Japanese women are completly hairless)

I personally think it's probably no big deal, but some clarification on it would make her feel better on what to do.

She has slender arms and hands, but for a girl the hair is a little excessive.

Many Japanese women shave their arms partly because our dark hair is more visible than light colored one. It all depends on how your friend feels. She could try shaving if it is an option for her. I would say don't worry about it.

Well my friend, I'll tell you this, women having arm hair in the west is much more looked down upon and given attention to. If she thinks it will be a problem in Japan, then it's an even bigger problem in America or the west if you're European. Most Japanese people won't even give a thought to arm hair man or woman unless she has a lot of it noticeable from a distance. If she's uncomfortable, tell her seriously, it's much more of a problem in the west that it is in Japan. Hope this helps.

I have to disagree with wheynick, because Japanese women are far more likely to shave their arms than women in the west, who don't usually worry about arm hair.

However, arm hair on other people is not something that people here are really going to give any thought to, let alone "look down on". If your friend's arm hair does not bother her in your home country, then she should not worry about it here either.

I would say don't shave your arm hair, it will grow back all spikey and dark and horrible and you'll have to keep shaving it forever yuck. people gonna stare at you anyway cos youre a foreigner in Japan better get used to it :)