Clothes Shopping in Japan

Clothes shopping in Japan can be very difficult.  As a foreigner at 176.5 cm (5' 9.5"), I have a difficult time finding clothes long enough or big enough (I HAVE HIPS) to purchase in Japan.  I have had luck, however, at Uniqlo.  

NOTE: I have NOT shopped in store (or online) at Uniqlo in the States, so please let me know if something is the same there that I don't know about.  

Trying on clothes in Japan is a little bit different than the States.  

The same: 

1. Inside there is a row of fitting rooms

2. They want to know how many pieces of clothing you want to try on (you get a number) 

3.You go into your own cubicle to try the clothes on  

Different: 

1. There is only one fitting room, so men and women use the same one.  

2. There is a slightly raised platform in the cubicle and you have to remove your shoes before you stand on it, as if you were going into someone's home. It makes perfect sense.  It keeps that area where people are in their socks cleaner.  Those same socks will be touching their floor at home later that day when they leave.  

3. I went to try on a dress (yay for dresses that are supposed to be long on Japanese women!) and they gave me this: a face covering. On one hand it makes perfect sense: many women wear make up and I have seen foundation on clothes that I have wished to try on in the States and I have been grossed out.  On the other hand, I felt ridiculous! 😂

4.  This is where I don't know if Uniqlo in the States uses this technology for check out; if they do, that's awesome!  If they don't, then here's a little video.  I checked out in less than a minute.  It might have been even faster if I had their app (I should probably download it, since it seems to be my go-to store for clothes now). 

My basket of clothes.  This was filmed in winter, thus the jacket.  

SIDE NOTE: In the States, fire extinguishers are in glass boxes mounted on a wall.  In Japan, they are just sitting around in stores, sometimes not even in a holder like this one.  Why do you think this is different?  In the States it seems that there is a smaller degree of trust in individual people and so I would assume that they are behind glass so that no one uses them at the wrong time.  But in Japan trust seems to be put more in people, like people leave their shopping carts in a parking area after paying for things at Costco and waiting in line to buy food,  AND NO ONE TOUCHES ANYTHING. They also leave crane toy prizes ON TOP of the machines NOT LOCKED UP and NO ONE TOUCHES ANYTHING.  Any ideas as to what the difference is?  It's got to be cultural and perhaps based on the individualism in the States versus doing things for society as a whole in Japan.  

So what do you think of clothes shopping in Japan? Do you think the differences make for a better experience? Let me know!