At Japan Rabbit we buy clothes from Japanese stores that don't ship abroad every day. Our customers around the world regularly ask us this question: "I know my size in my country, but what is its equivalent in Japan?".

That's why we decided to assemble all the clothing sizes conversion charts and explain them on a single page. We hope you will use these tables as references before buying apparel from Japan.

This article is long because it covers as much as possible the different systems used in Japan to measure many kinds of garments. The article covers clothing and shoe sizes for women, men, and children.

Women's clothing and shoe sizes

The comparison chart below will tell you what your size is for most Japanese women's clothes. To use it correctly, you need to know your body measurements in centimeters.

General chart

As said above, all dimensions are expressed in centimeters. If you aren't familiar with that unit, you can divide these numbers by 2.54 to get their equivalents in inches.

Japanese dresses

5-Y-PP? 21-AB-T? The dress sizing names in Japan may look like robot names from the Star Wars saga. Fortunately, we describe for you these denominations that may seem overly complicated, but that allows you to find dresses with perfect cuts.

The names of Japanese dress sizes are composed of three parts:

• A number that defines the size of your chest.
• One or two letters that determine your hip circumference relative to your chest.
• One or two letters that indicate your height.

We give you more details on each of these criteria in the following sub-sections so that you can choose the dress that will suit you best.

Chest sizing

The first part of the dress's sizing name determines your chest girth. Again, the numbers in this chart are in centimeters.

Hips sizing

The second part of the Japanese dress sizing standard is used to define your hip circumference. In Japan, this measurement depends on your chest size.

The designation "T" means that your hips are less than or equal to your chest size. All other templates are made for women with hips wider than their busts. Thus, the letter "A" means that your hips are greater than your chest by 4 centimeters.

Dress length

The last part of the dress size naming is based on the subject height (that means "you"). Be careful, because the sizes above "P" (Petite) also add a few inches at the hips level. You will have to take this detail into account when calculating your hip circumference. It's the unique subtlety that makes the calculation difficult.

There are obviously other measurements above "T", but Japanese manufacturers determine their own standards. If you are taller than 166 cm, you will need to ask for more information to the seller or the brand that makes the dress you want to buy.

Tip: If you want to purchase your dress from a Japanese online store and you're not sure about your size, Japan Rabbit can help you. Indeed, we can contact the Japanese seller for you to get all the necessary details about the dress you want to buy. If you are satisfied with the information obtained, we will purchase the product for you and ship it to your address.

Bras

The sizes of Japanese bras combine the cup and band sizes. We explain this in more detail in the following two subparts.

Cup sizing

The Japanese bra-cup sizes are identical to those used in Europe, except in Great Britain. Indeed, the British have similar names until cup "D", then they have a late letter on the following Japanese sizes.

As for North Americans, they have a delay of one letter until the Japanese cup "E", then two letters late for larger breasts.

In any case, the biggest size you can find in most Japanese shops is "D". Sometimes you can run across "E"-sized bras, but this is quite rare in the Land of the Rising Sun.

This isn't shown in the table above, but Australia uses the same system as the North American countries.

Band sizing

The table below shows the sizes in Japan (similar to the dimensions in most European countries), France and Spain (because their standard differs from the rest of Europe), North America and Great Britain, and finally Australia.

If you're in France or Spain, it's quite easy to get your Japanese size. Actually, all you need to do is subtract 15 from the measurement of your country to get the perfect width for your Japanese bra.

To convert American and British sizes to Japanese measurements, you'll just need to start your calculation with the US size "28" which corresponds to a "60" in Japan. From there, add 2.5 to the Japanese size each time you add a point to the American or British size.

You can use the same method for Australian measurements, except that a "60" in Japan equals a "6" in Australia.

Women's pants and jeans

The sizes of Japanese female jeans are defined by the waist circumference of the subject. The best way to take your measurement is to enlace your waist just above your belly button with a measuring tape.

This chart works for most denim brands in Japan. But some manufacturers use slightly different templates. If you are unsure of your size, we invite you to send us a comment with your Japan Rabbit order so that we can contact the seller to have more information about the product.

Women's shoes

Nothing is easier than finding your shoe size in Japan. Just measure the length of your foot. Indeed, the measuring unit of Japanese shoe sizes is centimeters.

The chart below will help you convert this length into the standard of your choice: European, American, or British sizes.

Tip for North Americans: Divide the size in centimeters by 2.54 to get the equivalent size in inches.

It's quite challenging to find women's shoes with a length greater than 25 centimeters in Japan. Some specialty shops offer larger shoes, but they're really rare.

You should also be aware that Japanese shoes tend to be tighter than their western counterparts. This is something you should remember if you already feel cramped in your western boots.

Other useful information: Socks use the same standards as shoes.

Some shoe shops use another system that employs the letters S (for Small), M (Medium), and L (Large):

• S : 23 cm
• M : 23,5 cm
• L : 24 cm
• LL : 24,5 cm
• LLL : 25 cm

There are also "model sizes" (モデルサイズ in Japanese). This name refers to larger sizes specially made for models. Female models are often taller than average, so they often have bigger feet.

You might also like: Where to buy Japanese shoes?

Men's clothing and shoes sizes

As with women's clothing, there are many standards for defining the sizes of men's apparel in Japan. But, the chart below can be used as a reference for most apparel products you can find in Japanese online stores.

General chart

The sizes at the two ends of this spectrum (i.e. XS, XL, or XXL) don't always fit the same body measurements. That's why we advise you to leave a comment on your Japan Rabbit order if your morphology doesn't fit into the three sizes found in the table above. We'll contact the Japanese seller to find out if the product you want to buy will fit you or not.

Japanese shirts for men

Please note that some Japanese brands use the same standards as in Europe. Besides, it's very difficult (but not impossible) to find shirts larger than size 44 in Japan.

Also, pay attention to the cut of Japanese shirts. Most of them are slim-cut, which means it's sometimes better to take a size above to ensure a comfortable fit.

Men's coats and jackets

To put it in a nutshell, always take a coat or jacket one size up when shopping in Japan. The table below gives you information about the measurements of each template.

Men's underwear

Nothing really special here. You just need to take your hip circumference with a measuring tape to know your Japanese underwear size.

Men's shoes in Japan

As for women, the unit used to define shoe sizes is the length of the foot in centimeters. The table below allows you to convert Japanese sizes with their European, American, and British equivalents.

You might also like: Where to buy Japanese shoes?

Children and baby clothing sizes

General information

In Japan, children's clothing labels indicate the size of the kid in centimeters. Most of the time, you just need to know the size of your child to find clothes that fit him perfectly.

Major brands like Uniqlo and GU Japan offer sizes up to 160 centimeters for boys.

You might also like: Where to buy baby clothes from Japan?

Baby headwear (hats, caps...)

In Japan, the size of the hats and caps corresponds to the head circumference. The chart below shows you the correspondence between the weight and size of the baby and the size of the headwear that will be the best for him or her.

Children's shoe sizes

As for adults, Japanese shoe sizes are counted in centimeters. You will find the European, American, and British equivalents in the table below.