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Interesting enough, the sea does not play an equally important
part in leisure for Japanese for a variety of reasons – the water is
cold because of northern location of Japan, it is also not the
cleanest due to pollution, and the beaches are just not good enough for
having fun during summer. There
are so few beaches within driving distance for most Japanese that
spending time at Japanese beaches is not something that one can easily
do in
Japan. Okinawa does have
some excellent beaches but it is so far south by Japanese standards that by
the time you pay the expensive Japanese fares to
get there, you might be better off by just taking off for Thailand,
Indonesia, Guam, or
Hawaii.
 Young Japanese people have, however, taken a more adventurous
approach and have embraced western water sports like jet
skiing, surfing,
scuba
diving, and of course, just lying on the beach
and soaking the sun to get the tan that does not necessarily
always look good
on Japanese skin but they try to get it anyway.
What does it mean in terms of apparel design for
the Japanese?
Since a lot of these activities are much more
popular in
countries outside Japan, the apparel for water sports has essentially
been developed for the local people.
Like a lot of other fashion goods, Japan has traditionally not
developed these in Japan. Thus,
these apparel are either imported or are based on designs developed
elsewhere. (Related:
How to
buy a bathing suit?)
It may be pointed out that the road to a perfect design for
beachwear for the
Japanese has been rather bumpy. In
the beginning, nothing would fit the Japanese body until some
enterprising manufacturers started designing products for the oriental
body. Then came the issues
about patterns and prints (Diva
Bikini), and of course, how much
skin could be shown. During this period, the Japanese had to do with
swimsuits
that did not justice to their bodies.
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MYNIPPON recently conducted some research and found
that the demands from Japanese consumers for appropriate beachwear have
impacted global fashion trends. Thus,
today’s swimwear worldwide incorporates changes that were driven by
Japanese consumers. The beachwear is
essentially an extension of what was acceptable in the onsen but
bold enough for the beach so that the garment is more globally
acceptable. Thus, Japanese designers have given a totally new meaning to what
swimwear means and western designers have dutifully incorporated these
ideas. (Related:
How to buy
swimwear)
Influence of Japan on swimsuit design
Here are some of the influences from Japan that
MYNIPPON has identified:
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It makes perfect fashion sense to show off some
flesh without any embarrassment since the beach is as much about
swimming, hot dogs, and
tanning as it is about showing
off your perfect
body.
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Wearing one
size smaller than what you need may not be advised by doctors
and bra experts but who spends their whole life in a
bikini
anyway. Nothing is more attractive than a tight fitting bikini that
is just about to come off with any signs of movement. If you do end
up showing some private parts, you can always blame the garment.
-
If you have hips like Japanese
women, thongs
are the most appropriate (How
to buy a swimsuit online). What does it matter if you
show just a little bit more of your hips since you end up getting a
more wholesome tan?
-
Be creative rather than function-oriented with
accessories like wraps and
sarongs. The idea of a sarong is
not to hide anything - it is actually to tease a little bit.
Similarly, towels or baskets or sunscreens
need to make a statement
than to just serve the purpose.
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Make it cute. Put a little bit of cute
flowers here and there and you have a piece of clothing that is not
only cute and pretty but very Japanese.
| Another way to
check out the swimsuits in Japan is to watch this short video clip
of the Otachimisaki beach, on the island of Kyushu in Japan. |
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Recommended links: Taking
better pictures of swimsuit models Japanese
female body is big now
L Space
Swimwear A
mature woman in a swimsuit seduces her lover in Cancun
Japanese
lingerie designs
Exotica Swimwear
Flattering swimsuits |
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