The Five Things to Buy Before Your Trip to Japan

I’ve lived off and on in Japan since the 1970s, in various places. Most recently I’ve lived in Kyoto. The longest place I’ve ever lived is Tokyo. I think the shoe situation in Japan has changed in the last few decades, as Japanese people have gotten larger over the years, but when I first began traveling to Japan, it was impossible to find my shoe size. Once, in 1976, while I lived in Fukuoka, I decided I needed running shoes. I went to the local sporting goods stores and asked to try on a pair. The clerk bought me the largest size they had for women. I think they were 24.5 cm, around a 7.5 in America. At that point I wore an 8.5, even a 9. <a href="https://medium.com/japonica-publication/the-five-things-to-buy-before-your-trip-to-japan-42d0e1ec9d82">Learn More</a>