Dress Code
One of the first ways you can make an impression with your colleagues (be that good or bad) is in the way you dress. To a lot of people, Japan does have a bit of a reputation for being strict in this regard and the image of the Japanese officer worker is often one in a pitch black suit, black shoes and a blindingly white shirt. Fortunately this is not always the case and certainly doesn't mean you are going to have to entirely erase all signs of personality and charm when you arrive. Either way, here are some quick tips.
ESID
The way you should dress at school, like most other situations on the JET Programme, falls into the ESID category. Every situation really is different. The best bit of advice we can give you here, is to take heed of your surroundings! School environments and atmospheres can be drastically different even within the same city. More often that not people tend to follow the lead of the kyoto-sensei (vice-principals) in this regard. If they dress up, so will most of the teachers, and then probably so should you.
Level of School
Schools also have a tendency to be different depending on their level. Of course this is another ESID moment (*yawn*) but there is a general tendency for teachers at Elementary schools to dress less formally, and a trend at Senior High schools for teachers to dress up.
What to wear
At the end of the day though, In the school environment, you will probably find that most of your coworkers do not wear a suit every day and certainly not in the muggy Summer heat. As a general rule, men tend to wear button-up shirts and trousers. Women have a slightly larger range of clothing but frequently wear blouses and trousers or a skirt.
Also, you should always bring in a blazer for opening and closing ceremonies.
Shoes
Another important cultural difference in Japan is that most people tend to take their shoes off not just at home, but at schools, doctors clinics and hospitals too. Whenever you get to school, you will be expected to do the same. The school will more than likely have dozens of pairs of really uncomfortable, small slippers you can use, but why settle for uncomfortable? We suggest you buy a pair of easy to wear, indoor shoes. They don't have to be flashy or expensive, just a pair of shoes you don't mind wearing exclusively indoors.
Taking shoes around with you all the time can be a huge pain, so its advisable to buy more than one if you visit more than one school regularly.
What Not to Wear
Generally, as long as you dress relatively formally, you'll be ok. There are however, things that you should avoid.
- Sleeveless tops
- Shorts
- T-shirts
- Jeans
- Sandals
- Tight-fitting clothes
- Anything that falls above the knee when you’re sitting
- Anything with rips or tears
Cool Biz
During school holidays or other days when there are no classes, some teachers might dress more casually, in jeans and t-shirts. Exceptions are also made in hot weather, this is often referred to as ‘Cool Biz’, when polo shirts might be okay instead of suit shirts, for example.
Tattoos, Piercings, Nail PolishThese are all very ESID but are usually prohibited for students and therefore teachers as well. Jewellery and dyed hair (unnatural colours) usually fall into this category too.