What do people get wrong about clothing and shoe sizes in Japan?

This answer is a draft. It stays unpublished until legal review and source verification are complete.

Buying clothes and shoes is on many visitors' lists, and it is where disappointment is most common: the letter on the label means something different, and the shoe size uses a different unit entirely.

Conversions (approximate)

Shoes (JIS, in cm of foot length)

Sizes above 28.0 cm (men) and 25.5 cm (women) are limited in ordinary shops; look for "large size" (大きいサイズ) sections or specialist stores.

Clothing (women's tops, guide)

• Japanese shoe sizing follows JIS S 5037: the number is foot length in cm, with width grades A–G (E, 2E, 3E, 4E common). 3E is roughly a US wide.
• Clothing follows JIS L 4004/4005 with numeric sizes (号, gō: 7, 9, 11, 13) for women and chest-based sizes for men; sleeve and inseam lengths run short.
• Many chains publish the actual garment measurements (寸法) in cm on the tag or website — use those, not the letter.

[Verify] Conversion tables are approximations; brands vary. JIS references with the Japanese Standards Association.

Misunderstanding 1｜Buy your usual letter size

Go up one or two. Or ignore letters and read the cm measurements on the tag — Japanese labels are unusually precise.

Misunderstanding 2｜Shoe sizes are just a different number system

They are centimetres of your foot. Measure heel to longest toe standing; that number is your Japanese size. Add 0.5 cm for thick socks.

Misunderstanding 3｜Japanese shoes are narrow

The opposite: standard Japanese widths (E–2E) are wider than many Western standard lasts, because Japanese feet are on average wider. If you have narrow feet, look for D or C widths.

Misunderstanding 4｜Large sizes do not exist

They exist in specialist shops and online; department stores and big fashion chains carry limited ranges beyond L. Men's tall sizes (身長 180 cm+) are the hardest.

Misunderstanding 5｜Returns are easy if it does not fit

Return policies are stricter than in the US; many shops refuse returns of worn or tagged-removed items, and some allow exchange only. Try on before paying.

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Sources

• Japanese Standards Association — JIS S 5037 (shoe sizes) and JIS L 4004/4005 (clothing sizes)

https://www.jsa.or.jp/

• Japan Consumer Affairs Agency — Household goods labelling (sizes and fibre content)

https://www.caa.go.jp/policies/policy/representation/household_goods/

• Japan National Tourism Organization — Shopping guide

https://www.japan.travel/en/guide/shopping/

⚠️ Editorial note: the source URLs above were identified by search. Our working environment cannot reach go.jp domains, so the contents have not been checked against the text. Verify every source before publication and record who checked it and when.

About this article

What we share here are ideas and everyday practices passed down among people living in Japan, together with general information drawn from public sources. They are not official recommendations, and they are not professional instruction. Practices vary between households and regions.

This is general information. Results vary from person to person and depend on your own conditions and surroundings.

Please decide for yourself, using your own judgement, whether any of this suits your situation. We cannot accept responsibility for any damage, loss or injury arising from following this article.

Rules and procedures change. Please confirm the latest official information before you act.

Sources

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