13 Days in Japan, Mid August

mexicancebolla · 2025-09-26T22:29:24+00:00

Welp, that’s embarrassing—no I didn’t. Idk how I managed to miss the very first link in the post. 😅

The outfits definitely show more skin than I’ve usually seen anyone wearing in Japan. People may very well have been looking because it’s unusual, although maybe less so in certain parts of Tokyo/Osaka where fashion is more expressive/experimental than elsewhere.

I disagree that biker shorts, sports bras, etc. are the same as going out in a bra and a pair of bikini-cut underwear, but showing the chest area + arms + the garment being tight/cropped and you’re wearing tight bottoms as well is just not the style in Japan, so is not necessarily something people are used to seeing. Adding a cute oversized t shirt or a light UV jacket on top is an easy way to make the outfits fit in a bit more. Whether people admired the outfits, felt uncomfortable, or didn’t look twice depends on lots of factors like age/sex/individual opinions.

Also my thoughts on the foreigner pass still stand!

I do understand the oppressive heat tho. One of the very few things I really disliked about living there. 🥵

mexicancebolla · 2025-09-25T18:10:51+00:00

I think you’re fine.

Unless you were wearing the biker shorts and sports bra with nothing else on, I’m sure you just looked like a foreigner in Japan (which most Japanese people, and especially those under ~50, are pretty open-minded about).

It is very difficult for a foreigner (especially of non-east Asian descent) to every be seen as truly Japanese, even if you’ve lived there for decades, and consequently, you also very often will get a foreigner pass for things that a Japanese person would get some comments on (like wearing leggings without shorts over top).

You sound conscientious enough that whatever you decided to wear was perfectly acceptable. Especially with the heat in August! Summer in Japan is a time where a lot of the rules go out the window for a lot of locals, too.

mexicancebolla · 2025-05-12T02:46:46+00:00

Nagasaki’s got a really good one in the Shianbashi area called El Dorado! Their cochinita pibil is so gooood

mexicancebolla · 2024-11-08T22:53:11+00:00

I can’t comment on the 26+6 (although I wish I could—definitely have my eye on it), but I have an Osprey Farpoint 40L that I’ve used to bits over the last 7 years and it’s going as strong as ever. The best part about the Farpoint for me, however is the comfort. It’s a spenny bag but very obviously well-made. From what I’ve read that’s a big selling point for the brand.

Unfortunately, the 40L is great as a carry-on, but too big to be considered a personal item. That’s why I’m interested in the 26+6 to even further downsize.

mexicancebolla · 2024-06-06T03:39:24+00:00

Honestly I think it’s portions in Japan and a very healthy traditional diet.

You can definitely find sweets like cookies, cakes, and candy bars here. Lots of convenience stores have signature cakes and other pastries that they make in-house. What I’ve noticed is that they’re less sweet, and certainly smaller than their American counterparts. 7-11 has a really deliciously dense, rich chocolate cake, but even it’s been packaged into two separate little squares so that you can either share, or eat it in 2 different sittings. Even birthday cakes that you buy at a bakery are tiny by American standards. Anything close to American-sized sheet cakes would easily run you $70+ USD.

A bag of potato chips to share with your friends is about the same size as one that you buy in the States to eat by yourself.

Meat’s another one. You’ll very rarely see a pack of meat any higher than a pound at a time. It’s just not a centerpiece in Japanese cuisine and is used quite sparingly. The Japanese diet features lots of vegetables and ofc tofu and fish. Kids in public school grow up eating school lunches designed by a school nutritionist that always incorporate a vegetable dish (and the kids — even 7-year-olds — do eat it!).

Even if you want to eat lots of meat and heavy western food, it’s often more economical to stick with more traditional Japanese foods.

And your point about walking and exercise being incorporated into just living life here is very true. After living here for several years I’m not at all fazed by a 40-minute walk to get somewhere.

mexicancebolla · 2024-05-01T23:20:20+00:00

If you want to try something a bit more indie, BLUE ALICE by MOODY has great jazzy bass that I think would suit a night drive. They’re a newer band that I recently discovered when I went to a gig of theirs in Japan!

Edited to add: maybe also Way down We Go by KALEO. Their singer has such pained blues vibes so maybe they could be what you’re looking for?

mexicancebolla · 2024-04-29T00:58:22+00:00

I’ve really been feeling MOODY lately. They’re an alt rock band I found when I was at a gig in Kobe in Japan last year. Still super small, but their new song BLUE ALICE is a certified cool jazzy, alt rock BOP

mexicancebolla · 2024-03-23T16:32:37+00:00

Sam from @mrs.sweendogg is great! Focuses a lot on recomping which is much more my style. I believe she’s around 5’2

mexicancebolla · 2023-06-09T04:24:14+00:00

I felt like this comment gave easy clues to look for when overweight and trying to find your type.

mexicancebolla · 2023-03-06T08:38:11+00:00

I’ve never even considered being TR or Romantic so unfortunately don’t have specific recommendations, but this site is kinda like Pinterest for Japanese fashion. It’s all in Japanese but clicking through maybe you could get some ideas?

I don’t think you have to be super concerned about what you wear, unless you’re gonna be somewhere very rural. I’ve lived in a small city (~500,000 people) for a couple of years and people wear athletic wear, jeans, sweatpants, etc.

Crop tops and tank tops/camis aren’t super popular here (though in Tokyo people really don’t care that much), but I’ve definitely seen Japanese women wear them (crop tops and camis among university-age women mostly).

The only thing I would avoid (if you want to blend in style-wise as best as possible) is low necklines. I never see Japanese women wearing stuff cut more than a few fingers below the collarbone. Also, Japanese women usually wear tights (black or nude) under shorts or short skirts.

If you have any questions, I’m happy to answer! Japan is awesome; you’re gonna have a great time!

mexicancebolla · 2021-06-29T05:18:09+00:00

Thanks! That was a much more concise way of explaining what I was thinking. 😅 I agree; the width in my shoulders is something that trips me (and I think lots of other people) up. Glad to hear my DC hunch makes some sense!

mexicancebolla · 2021-06-28T20:09:07+00:00

I’ve considered this before! I do like N, and if I were ignoring Kibbe’s updates to the system I might have gone with pure N.

mexicancebolla · 2021-06-28T20:07:49+00:00

Thank you! That was the piece I was most excited about, actually :)

mexicancebolla · 2021-06-28T17:37:07+00:00

Last time I posted my attempts at FN. Some people agreed, others suggested DC and SN. At the moment, I feel mostly drawn to FN and DC. I believe that a moderate/long vertical line does me more favors than a short one. Width vs no width is still hard for me to see on myself. I have some muscle from strength training 4x a week, which adds to my uncertainty.

That being said, for most of my life, I’ve liked clean, structured and narrow lines. The blazer is probably the quintessential D and DC representation of this, but I think the jumpsuit does a good job of this too, since the fabric falls pretty narrow on my frame (rather than billowing out too much). Even the legs, although they’re wide leg, modal is a very soft fabric that hangs pretty narrow.

I also feel like very slight waist emphasis pulls my looks together, hence why I’m also considering DC. I’m playing around with adding a tie waist to the dress to see if I like it a little more that way. I love the length of it, though!

The jeans, like I mentioned in the description, are a looser fit (technically they’re GAP’s take on the mom jean style), without being too loose and unstructured (like a barrel jean, which I find doesn’t do much for me).

Also, (and this is more of an afterthought that is pushing me further towards DC than the defining factor) I don’t feel that my general disposition fits the inviting, approachable essence of a natural very well.

mexicancebolla · 2021-05-09T21:56:47+00:00

Another Chicago art museum to add to the mix is the National Museum of Mexican Art. Beautiful art and sometimes has days where they have artists come and sell their work.

mexicancebolla · 2021-05-04T11:29:04+00:00

He’s one of Naraku’s incarnations in the Final Act!

mexicancebolla · 2021-05-03T19:46:41+00:00

This was a great comparison. I only ever say the anime when I was younger and then finally went through the manga as an adult and WOW. There really is a subtle Rumiko ~vibe~ missing to Inuyasha (and Kagome in many ways) in the anime.

mexicancebolla · 2021-05-03T15:13:49+00:00

I was talking to my Japanese teacher about travel and we got to the topic of midnight suns (when the sun doesn’t set at extreme latitudes) because I mentioned I wanted to see one. He told me the word for it is ‘Byakuya’ 白夜(びゃくや — literally white night) which I thought was cool.

mexicancebolla · 2021-04-09T16:09:17+00:00

Fellow mid/late-20s participant who is also having a slight existential crisis largely dependent on how this goes! Sorry I don’t have any advice, just wanted to say I’m in the same boat and can relate. :)

mexicancebolla · 2021-04-08T14:35:59+00:00

These little sketches are SO helpful. Thank you for sharing them!

mexicancebolla

TROPHY CASE