Appropriate clothing in Japan? (Male version)

Hi. I thought the other female version of this thread was very informational, but I'm a guy; I would like to know if there is anything a man should not wear in Japan.

Particularly, I am wondering:
1) If any clothes common in the US would be looked down upon in Japan?

2) What is in style for men in Japan?

3) Where might I find those clothes? If specific stores could be named with their location, that would be very helpful to me.

Thank you!

It'll depend on how old you are, where you are going, the season etc. Things seem to be a bit more relaxed in the touristy areas like Kyoto, but parts of tokyo is a sea of grey, black, and brown. Maybe watch a j-movie or drama to get an idea of what gets around in the streets, there are heaps of them on youtube. We get a lot of stuff mail order from yesstyle, I am a great fan of buden akindo, but you dont see it much in the streets even there, in fact they are more likely to be wearing tee shirts with something in english on them than something in japanese. My wife would be horrified to learn I am giving fashion tips. My standard japan attire is a tee shirt, cargo pants and naot sandals, but at least I am comfy.

People around the world love to wear US style casual clothes with American-English words on them that they don't understand (and that often puzzle English speaking people).
I swear that I saw a very plain looking local girl in Kyoto wearing a T-shirt that said something naughty and misspelled...I was embarrassed for her!

In most countries in the Western world (this includes Japan, Australia etc.) there are 2 kinds of clothes..the drab business clothes that some locals must work, and casual ones worn by locals in more low-key jobs and also tourists..

I read tons of similar questions on the Paris forum and the reply, from Americans living in Paris, is that a foreign tourist in local clothes will still look like a tourist no matter what..it has to do with the body shape, the gestures etc.
Of course in Japan we stick-out even more...then there would be the problem of size..I am only 5' 7", 155 lbs, but sweaters, shirts and jackets for my height are way too tight for me. The ones that fit my chest go down to my knees at the bottom and my hands are lost inside the sleeves! pants that fit my waist size are too tight in the backside..

Well, considering there are many, many U.S. clothes shops in Japan I can't see anyone getting too upset what you wear... as long as it's appropriate for where you are...

They have:
Eddie Bauer
LL Bean
American Eagle
Banana Republic
GAP
ZARA
Gee, just about everything... Foreign companies love selling into this market. What you will find is that Japanese, on the whole, dress very well and are normally very stylish.

Hi Takkilicious

As written above, it is well known even among people living in Japan that some people wear US style casual clothes with weird American-English words printed on it. I know well these words always puzzle English-speaking people. But, this is also true for English-speaking people.

Here are some weird mistakes of Japanese words printed on casual clothes for English-speaking people. Take a look at them one-by-one with laughing:

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/org282051.jpg
What is written in a circle is a well-known wash powder name. That is, it means "I'm wash powders."

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/imga2f3928czik5zj.jpeg
What is written there means a big penis. That is, it means "I have a big penis."
Maybe, this man wanted to say "I'm a huge man."

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/tshirt06_m.jpg
What is written there means "I'm a person searching for Japanese girlfriends," but this guy clearly has a non-Japanese girlfriend."

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/1020007.jpg
What is written on his skin means "a stupid foreigner." Very weird mistake.

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/1020014.jpg
What is written there means "I'm a shop owner refusing all foreigners." Clearly, this man seems to be narrow-minded.

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/P1010820.jpg
What is written there means "I'm a stupid US person." Anyone, let him know what is really written there.

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/1020016.jpg
What is written there means "I'm a loud-voice person" or "You're noisy."

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/org282250.jpg
What is written above High-Tech Chewing Gum means "Rubber made from Western Wasabi." Wasabi is basically Japanese pepper for sushi. It is clear that there is no Western-style Wasabi. Note that there are grammatical mistakes in the following sentences.

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/10204.jpg
What is written there means "Tokyo is Wireless" or "Wireless Tokyo." Maybe, it should be replaced with radio station name "Radio Tokyo."

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/10207.jpg
What is written there means "Overall Abrasion." Is he worn away like a robot?

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/10209.jpg
What is written there is very shocking: womens' dirty genitals. Anyone, let him know what is really written there.

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/102013.jpg
What is written there means "I'm a person having acute low back pains."

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/org282571.jpg
The Kanji character written on this T-shirts means hemorrhoid.

http://blog-imgs-31.fc2.com/n/a/k/nakasoku/102018.jpg
What is written there means "breach of prison." It indicates "I'm a dangerous person who escaped from a prison."

I would like to know if there is anything a man should not wear in Japan.

When you visit Japan, don't wear clothes with an unknown Japanese word printed on it. If the Japanese word is weird or dangerous, it will puzzle and confuse so many Japanese-speaking people.

Dude, are you serious? Didn't you think of those tees as jokes? For example, Looking for japanese girlfriend is a classic t-shirt sold by jlist.com, "baka gaijin" is on one of their t-shirts as well, a quick google search would tell you that gonorrhea pussy is acutally a japanese band (even the picture seems to be taken at a music festival). I bet that rest of the t-shirts are jokes as well. You're taking it too literally ;-) Of course it maybe puzzling, but Japanese people often perceive foreigners as strange beings anyway :D

My observation after a 3 week vacation and hanging out with folks in Tokyo is that generally, younger men are pretty well groomed compared to what I would expect in an average city in the west in summer. Not to say they don't wear casual clothing, but there tends to be less overtly scruffy clothing, for sure.

I actually appreciated it, to be honest - it was a nice change.

Basically I'd say you can wear just about anything you like. Just pay more attention to how it fits you and how you look in it than what the particular style is. Oh, and get a haircut before you go :)

Thank you for everyone's replies and opinions!

I think I will take everyone's advice and try to put it together.

It sounds like people in Japan have some of the same brands that are known worldwide, so I will just pick what fits me and my style well. I will also try not to bring and buy shirts with Japanese characters I don't understand.

I would like to ask why the last guy suggested a haircut though before I go. Is there some kind of hairstyle that is in style right now? What about if I go to Japan and get a haircut?

Lastly, I would still like more opinions on Japanese fashion, so please keep discussing; that way, I can get a bigger picture on Japanese men's fashion.

Kyoto is well know by its heat.

My style on these days is as bellow.
Upper JINBEI
Hot pants cut jeans
EVA Sandal
Shoulder bags.

JINBEI and else I use are bought in the SHIN-KYO--GOKU shopping area near Nishhiki-Ichiba Mkt.

I'm not a guy I'm a guyette :)

I didn't mean to get any particular kind of hairstyle or to get your hair cut short, It's just that again that I noticed from casual observation of wandering the streets of several cities that guys in Japan generally seem to take care of their hair too. There's any number of styles on show especially in cities, but even the messy ones look like they were styled that way (and recently). I suspect that male haircare products in Japan are popular!

wear whatever you wear everyday. be comfortable! but if you want to impress, do what you gotta do as japan is a fashion forward place whether you agree or not.

Men do not wear shorts in Japan, even in the hot, humid, summer.

No. one rule: "the nail that sticks up gets hammered down'
After that, it's mostly details.
Be Aware; probably changing in the 2010s but tattoos have always been frowned upon. I didn't see very many on my last trip.
Also; torn or tattered clothes, being dirty or smelly are horribly offensive in Japan.
Have a competent barber give you the once-over before going. You're about to discover the meaning of 'bad hair day'. No really long hair.
Dont feed the dislike of 'gaijin' sentiment which unfortunately is growing.

Getting a haircut in Japan is very pleasurable.
Even small neighborhood shops give great haircuts. Larger hotels have good barbershops.

It's probably worth noting that depending on the company you intend to keep in Japan and where you intend to go, a lot of fashion rules are flexible. You certainly will find alternative culture there, complete with tattoos, long hair etc. just as anywhere else. On the other hand you might not be part of those scenes, or sometimes want to blend in during the day even if you are. So pack your bags accordingly, really.

Not that it really mater but ZARA is actually a Spanish company...owned by the Inditex group.
Japanese men do wear shorts in the summer..as I found out too late one year that I didn't brought my shorts, believing misinformation in guide books and forums.
There is a difference between Japanese going to work and those relaxing..

From a Japanese fashion blog:
"The fashion trends for young Japanese men are American casual (so called americaji) or more feminine rock styles for the Shibuya boys. They shop in second-hand stores like We Go in the ura-Harajuku district or select stores like BeamsT, Green Label Relaxing, Ships Jet Blue, 109 Men, Marui or Laforet.

What are the best Japanese mens fashion brands? Bathing Ape, Dickies, Neighborhood, Buffalo Bobs, local Japanese brands are the most popular.

clothing for men in their 20�fs is unique and designed so men can become their own stylist. The fashion trends for the casual Japanese are a mix of American, European and Japanese fashion.

The Metrosexual Japanese in their 30�fs and 40�fs are looking for uniqueness, fashion status, differentiation and exclusivity. The fashion trends for the trendy Japanese are European and Japanese fashion labels. They do shopping in Contemporary Fix, Corso Como, Comme des Garcons, Loveless, International Beams Gallery, Midwest, Dresscamp, United Arrows, Isetan Shinjuku.

http://www.fashioninjapan.com/streets/clothing_men_casual.html you will see shorts there..
http://www.fashioninjapan.com/streets/clothing_men_trendy.html

Personally I'd just wear what ever you feel comfortable in :)

"... Japanese men do wear shorts in the summer..as I found out too late one year that I didn't brought my shorts, believing misinformation in guide books and forums.
There is a difference between Japanese going to work and those relaxing. ..."
When I lived in Tokyo from 1985 to 1994 I never recall seeing any man wearing shorts. Things may have changed since then. I've been back 5 times since, but I'm sure never to go in summer's HELL! :)

The fashion for men showing bare ankles with either trousers or shorts seems to have stuck around since last summer and is even more popular in Tokyo this summer. I think the fashion term is "mankles" man+ankles.
If you want to do this and have smelly feet that need socks then get yourself some trainer socks that can be hidden inside the shoe.
Match that with some boyish shorts that come down to just above the knee, (not baggy cargo shorts with big pockets) everyone is wearing straight cut plain shorts that have a kind of juvenile schoolboy look, of course these look best if you have masculine slightly hairy (not smooth shapeless) looking legs, otherwise you might actually look like a schoolboy! which is not the desired effect...I think contrast between boyish shorts and masculine legs is the key.
Colors are all very pale creams and beiges for shorts, shirts and t shirts etc seem to be in lots of blues and whites but you can be more free with whatever styles and colours and prints etc...a bit of invidualism is better, you dont want to look like a GAP mannequin. Denim shirts are also back (thin pale washed out type not thick dark denim). Also men's sunglasses trends are going back to an early90s plastic rimmed classic look rather than thin metal rimmed aviator types.

"There is a difference between Japanese going to work and those relaxing. ..."

I work in Japan, in shorts, and have been doing so every summer for the last 5 years along with Japanese co-workers. (I admit I'm lucky though - obviously most salarymen don't).

I think if someone is coming to Japan just for sightseeing and worrying about "appropriate clothing", they are taking things way too seriously.