This is not a secret any more.  Dozens of women write to us every week asking where they can purchase Japanese lingerie.  Since the Japanese sizes do not suit a typical western woman, the questions appear to come mainly from petite American women or Asian women who are enchanted by the design but are bored with the ugly designs available in their countries.  While the Japanese companies have done a terrific job of marketing electronic appliances and automobiles, they have not taken the initiative to market Japanese clothing or pop-culture.   

Merlyn Mittins, who recently returned from a trip to Japan, purchased some really great, colorful underwear. She writes, "It was so exciting to find something different. Unfortunately I have not been able to locate the shop or similar underwear on the web to import. A lot of the online shopping websites don't want to import or are in Japanese. If Japan wants to get its fashion "out there" it has to be accessible."  Here is a message to all Japanese lingerie companies that could capitalize by serving this niche.  However, to do that they have to make sure that the site is at least translated into English and they accept credit cards issued outside Japan (a problem foreigners face when ordering from Japan).

Merlyn bought two sets of bras and panties at Poesie (a chain of lingerie boutiques in Japan) in Tokyo.  She comments, "I could have bought at least twenty! I found all the colors and the combinations of textiles interesting and charming. Compared to the boring designs and colors that we have to choose from, Poesie seemed to have fantastic choices. This is one of the reasons I wanted to import the designs so that I could show other women what they are missing.  I liked the structured style and the quality of the stitching and general assembly were excellent. The removable bra straps were an added bonus. The combinations of materials were well suited and added to the overall decadence of the style. The attention to detail, bows, embroidered flowers and all the little extras showed that somebody enjoyed designing them."

Most foreign women in Japan actually shop for underwear for themselves when they visit their home countries because they find that the Japanese sizes are just too small for them.  Merlyn faced the same problem.  However, she was very pleased with the design and the overall experience of shopping for lingerie in Tokyo.  She shares her insight, "Although I wouldn't describe this particular shop's underwear as feminine, I would describe it as the prettiest underwear I have seen, I found that it was too decadent to be feminine. But I feel that a lot of women who feel attractive, feel feminine.  I would like to take this kind of fun underwear to another continent."