overweight in japan

[chinablueyes18]

I am an 18 year old female who is about 50 lbs overweight. I am staying with a host family for a month with the labo/4-h program. You can learn more about the program at labo-exchange.com I am wondering if there is anything I should be concerned about. Will my fatness be an issue for them, or will they just ignore it? I've noticed the Japanese tend to be very slender.

 

[stephenmunday]

I think it is very much a matter of the kind of people you are staying with. However, you may feel that people are staring at you more over here - but that could well be just because you are a foreigner. Don't assume that because someone is doing that this means they think you are overweight. Just accept that you are going to stand out in this society anyway and that this means that you will attract attention. I am a tall white guy, so I stand out and probably get more than my fair share of looks compared with if I was shorter and ethnically Asian.

 

[curveegrrl]

I'm overweight too and lived in Japan for a year. Yeah, some people stared, but all the foreigners I worked with got stared at.

 

[Grandpa Frank]

Sweetheart....

just look em in the eye and say you are going to be the first woman Sumo champ; &, you know you are too skinny now, but you are trying to put on more weight!!
That should give them something to think about for a while!!

Frank

 

[Shinpachi]

I'm an overweight male and my host family was perfectly okay with it, and all the other high school students were cool too, in fact this certain group of guys seemed to really take to me. The people I met at the Jehova's Witnesses (i'm not one, my host mother and sisters were) meeting were also really nice too. The only time it was ever any sort of problem or was noticeable was over at a friend's host family's house, where the father was teasing me a bit I guess. He quit it though once I beat him at arm wrestling

 

[chinablueyes18]

another concern is my family mentioned in an email giving me a yukata. would one fit me?

 

[Grandpa Frank]

It's Just A Fancy ...

housecoat/hospital-johnie type thing. They have them from stringbean to Sumo size, no problem! You will have
the best time of your life while there! You sound like me,
I worried about a million details about going, and forgot all the problems when I got there. Just go with the flow, and have fun!

Frank

 

[Mango]

Laugh with them

I used to be a teacher in Japan and my kids would literally stare at all the foreigners when they see one - whether or not they are overweight. If anyone make fun of you, just crack a joke and laugh with them. It is much better than taking them too seriously and ruining your day.

Hmm...I bought a yukata for my friend who was also overweight and it did not fit her properly so she ended up wearing it like a housecoat at home.

 

[playaa]

Shouldnt have a problem with the yukata.. But the best advice I was ever given was from an american guy who had been living in Japan for 6 years... He saw me on a train and I asked for directions..He told me, get ready and to be VERY OPEN MINDED TO EVERYTHING. The culture is so much different it is like you are in a completely different world. And get used to people stareing, when your the only foreigner within 20 minutes you bet people are going to stare.. But honestly weight wouldnt be a problem.

 

[Shinpachi]

Yeah it's not like everyone's skinny in Japan anyway.

 

[Buddha Smoker]

You might get some stares or whispers but that is about it, I think.

 

[kirei_na_me]

Yeah it's not like everyone's skinny in Japan anyway.

For example, two popular singers: Kumiko Mori and Yoshimi Tendo.

My husband really likes Kumiko Mori.... I do too. She has a really good voice to be Japanese and is really funny and cute.