Suits?

[Anonymous]

Can anyone recommend somewhere in the Tokyo area where I can find some decent, relatively inexpensive business suits? I am a 42 tall and am looking in the 50,000 yen range per suit, but would probably be willing to pay more if the product is good. Thanks.

FDB

[Osakan]

Suits can be quite straightforwardly bought at 'clothes shops'.

Similarly, it's...

Butchers - for meat.
Barbers - for haircuts.
Bars - for beer.

[trip_hop]

Try Aoki men's plaza - they even have a section for outsize gentleman, i.e. gaijin and basketball playing Japanese. You don't even need to visit Tokyo as they have branches all over Japan.

If you want bespoke clothing, better double your budget.
Or take a trip to Bangkok - some good cheap tailors there.

Finally, Landsend' US have excellent mail order service, virtual mannequin, and on-line ordering, 90% of my family's clothing comes that way. But don't use Landsend Japan - the sizes/ proportions are not so good.

TH

[Anonymous]

If you are looking to spend that much it would be better for you to go to Korea for a weekend (30,000) and get a suit for 20,000. Thats 20,000 yen for a tailor made suit. You then would have money left over to get atleast 2 or 3 tailor made shirts too. (at about 2,000 yen a pop)

I have a name of a great place that happened to be feature in Forbes Magazine. Let me know if you are interested.

[Anonymous]

Dear TH and Big Al - thank you for your help. I will check out Aoki's Men's Plaza. I actually lived in Korea for a year but never had a suit made there, though I know the quality of the tailored clothes is excellent (better than the clothes I had made in Thailand which I wasn't too impressed with, frankly - therein lies the value of a recommendation, I suppose). Big Al, I am interested in the name of anywhere you can recommend, especially if I can use it as an excuse to return to Seoul.

Osakan - I suspect you are one of the breed of forum participants whose sole purpose in life is to pounce on any post and make sarcastic comments. I can't imagine how you feel this is useful, but if it brings you pleasure then, by all means, continue to waste everyone's time. However, since it seems obvious you don't understand the words "recommend" (I wanted to save some time by taking advantage of someone else's experience) and "42 tall" (a size that is not common in most Japanese clothing stores) I will cut you some slack and just assume that you're not very bright.

[jack]

Now, I am not one to get into an argument , but give Osakan a break. I mean he is totally right. What do you do in your spare time and weekends? I mean, even if you don't even like shopping, you can't help but walk by a clothing store. They are everywhere. Just walk in, see if they have your size and walk out. No drama. He is not wasting anyone's time. I enjoy the banter especially when people ask less than important questions. You obviously did not come here prepared and are too nervous to go on your own little shopping excursion. I am the same size as you and would enjoy helping you out if you need a hand.

Have fun shopping. jack

[Osakan]

Thank you for the support, Jack.

FDB - yes, I was being facetious, but not because I want to give anyone a hard time; rather, and as Jack surmised, because you ought really to be getting out and finding these things out for yourself. An adult should have no problems buying a suit in Tokyo, such minor difficulties as you might encounter are a healthy part of the learning experience. Japan will be daunting only for as long as you allow yourself to be daunted by it.

No, it's certainly not my "sole purpose in life" to be sarcastic. Feel free to run a search on my username, you might be surprised at how ready I've proved to give advice (including some to you, I think, 'Moving to Okayama').

Anyway, I don't want to fight. I hope you find a nice suit.

[Anonymous]

I totally agree an adult should have no problem buying a suit in Tokyo - that is, of course, if he lives in Tokyo. I live in Hiroshima Ken in a city of about 25,000 people. My entire life for the last three years has been in Japanese - my office, my shopping, my neighbours, my friends. There is nothing daunting about buying a suit, though thanks a lot for the great life advice about coming prepared and being a little nervous.

I have never lived in Tokyo, but I can tell you that where I live, buying a suit is not a matter of just walking into a clothing store. Off the rack clothing in my size just does not exist. I'm 6'4" and even in Hiroshima City I would have to get something tailored - I have tried, beleive me. I am moving to Tokyo next month and, since my old ones are getting on a bit, I need some new suits for interviews almost as soon as I arrive. Since I don't have time to do much shopping around, I thought I would ask if anybody might be able to recommend somewhere I could get a good deal.

Did I need to put all this as a foreword to my question? Is this such an unusual question? Have you never asked someone in your own home country if they know a nice clothing shop? Is it so difficult to write -"Gee, I bought a suit at this place last year, not too expensive and they threw in cuffs for free." Isn't that what this forum is for?

Osakan - I'm sure you think you are a very helpful person, but you can't assume to know everything about a person when they post two lines on a forum. So lacking that knowledge, maybe you should do one of two things: 1) ignore the post, or 2) give the person the benefit of the doubt and answer the question. Where do you buy your suits?

[Osakan]

FDB - earlier in the thread you "cut [me] some slack". I'm inclined to wonder: can you spare it? I mean, and for heaven's sake, I made a joke. Perhaps it was a bad one but you're unusually shrill for such a big chap.

Take it easy, please. Your own advice, "1) ignore the post" is as easily taken as prescribed.

Have a good, and relaxing, weekend.

Osakan

[trip_hop]

Oh dear, more examples of humour on forums not being appreciated.

Without the smile, pronunciation, body language and delivery, jokes just do not go down well. Add that to cultural, social, language, and background misunderstandings, it's a wonder anyone bothers after the results.

But laughter makes the world go round, or at least a brighter place, along with gravity, centripetal forces and a few other arcane physical phenomena.

It's a beautiful, hot, sunny day in downtown Kanagawa, birds are singing, and the grass needs cutting.

Have a nice weekend folks.

TH

[Anonymous]

Osakan:
I will admit I overreacted to the initial post since it seemed you were being purposely obtuse in misinterpreting my question. I realize now you honestly thought I was being an idiot and needed someone to hold my hand while doing my shopping. My current state of mind may have something to do with it because normally, I would have just brushed it off.

I have looked at your past posts as you invited me to do and have seen that you are genuinely trying to give good advice (though I'm not sure what you meant when you said you've given me advice before?) It was a bad joke at a bad time, but you couldn't have know that.

I regret that this whole thing has deteriorated into bickering and I have no resentment against you. On the same note, I'll take your last post as an apology of sorts and leave it at that. Peace.

FDB

[Osakan]

Thank you.

I don't know what you mean by your present state of mind, but I guess that upping-sticks and moving after three years of having lived in one place, and making such a dramatic change as moving from a small town to Tokyo, must be pretty stressful. Good luck with it.

[neko]

FDB -
learn to take a joke, bro.

[mark]

Without prejudice or even a hint of maliciousness I would like to make the following off-topic points in response to a comment made by TH.

There is nothing arcane about the centripetal force; it is both highly defined mathematially and has sound physical manifestations.

However, the same cannot be said for gravity, so TH is half correct. Although geniously defined mathematically by Einstein, the origins of this weakest of forces is not well understood. Bearing in mind that every particle in the Universe attracts every other, consider what happens if one of these particles is hypothetically removed. The fact that this particle no longer exists will have an effect on every other particle in the Universe, and this effect will be felt instantaneously. This is the problem. An instantaneous commuication of information (the fact that the particle no longer exists) throughout the Universe requires that the information travels faster the velocity of light, but this violates the second postulate of Einstein`s Special Relativity, namely that the velocity of light is the same in all frames of reference and can never be exceeded.

Aside from this paradox is the monumental problem of mathematically unifying gravity with the other three forces, but this is another story. If we could achieve this then a complete description and understanding of the Universe would be possible, and we would truly know the mind of God.

Mark

[Osakan]

If we knew the mind of God would we know where He buys His suits?

[trip_hop]

Thank you - I'm quite familiar with rotation and forces, gravitons and even Podkletnov. I never did like or agree with unified theory, a sort of pop physics, but I was more concerned with the inability of humour to transcend forums. The remarks were just made in jest, which looks like it has crashed and burned again.

Don't think there is any need to bring a God into the system. And of course parallel universes would render the whole argument worthless!

Maybe he (or she or it) does not need to wear any clothes!

[Anonymous]

Osakan - the things that are bothering me go a little deeper than just moving, but I won't bore you with them. The details of my life are quite inconsequential (I've always wanted to say that!)

So what now? Does everyone get on TH's back because she didn't appreciate the dumb joke?

[Osakan]

FDB - if whatever problems you have are essentially personal in nature, then, yes, it's probably a good idea not to air them here. If they are related to your life in Japan, why not seek advice on these boards? If I gave you a hard time before, I'm sorry. There are people ready to help you out. Anyway, and whichever way you go about it, I hope you enjoy a happy result.

[Anonymous]

Osakan - The problems aren't that bad and they're not related to living in Japan (other than the basic baseline of stress that anyone living in a foreign country feels). They're not personal either - just employment, relocation, and health related problems all coming down at once. Nothing I can't handle without a bit of forbearance and the promise of a vacation at the end of it all. Thanks for the concern, though.

I tell you, I did not expect this thread to go on for so long! Has there ever been a longer thread about nothing in the history of forums? And the variety! It started about suits, went on to the nature of the universe and ends with my mental health (or lack thereof). What next?

FDB

[Osakan]

FDB - I don't want to too much presume, but indulge my flexing my (likely puny) deductive muscle...

From the little you've told us - you live in the back of beyond, you are moving after 3 years - I guess you're a JET teacher whose contract is drawing to a close. Jobs are few and far between where you live & etc

Is that right? If it is, why do you think moving to Tokyo is the answer?

As someone who lives in a big city, I've come to think that people in medium-sized cities (Sapporo, Fukuoka, and so on) have the best deal, that combination of there being just enough going on to keep you interested and a reasonable cost of living. I rather wish I could move, too.

Perhaps this is where the thread could usefully go from here: should FDB move to Tokyo? If not there, then where?

[Anonymous]

Osakan - I appreciate the offer of help, but I have my own reasons for moving to Tokyo that are not readily apparent nor easy to explain. I can let you know how things work out if you really want to know, but, honestly, advice of that type from various random forum users is not what I really need right now. Again, thanks for the offer, but I think this thread should just be left to die out.

That is, unless someone else knows a good tailor?

FDB

[trip_hop]

Full circle!

Try Aoki Men's plaza - branches all over Japan.

Or if you are more adventurous,17 tailors in Tokyo area, 35 in Yokohama/ Kawasaki/ Kawagawa area - easily found in the phone book.

TH

[Anonymous]

Ahhhhhhh go for Hugo Boss, get something good and it will be woeth it. Anyway excellent forum, I get to go over quantum phyiscs again (love the stuff). Has all the world to dowith buying suits and I suggest buying big. It would be great if you could get everyone here to have a gathering out....... imagine the hours and hours of rediculous, worthless, mindless chatter that we can have. Bring me back to my Uni days where I could argue for days on end and even get religious guys to start questioning their own religion. and finally get them to see things from outside the box. I wonder why Christianity plays such a big role in the states...... boogles the mind when you live in Japan for all your life. 50% of Americans don't believe in evolution was my favorite, kind of explains a lot of things............... pity so many people on this planet are so Nationalistic (FIFA proved that)...... and today we can argue on a forum...... ummmmmmmm please please continue this pleasant arugument (I like the way everyone is trying to be so ever polite and at the same time manage to ____ the other off). Look forward to some more philosophy (try to relate it to everyday Japanese life)

[Juan Pablo]

Boss have a massive clearance sale in a big expo hall in Ebisu every quarter. Some stuff is not that good value but you can get some good stuff and in big sizes too. I'm not that much shorter than you FDB, so could be the way to go if you need to "stock up" on nice clothes. Keep an eye out on the classifieds in Metropolis mag, they advertise it there.

If you're going to Korea...
I found Mr Han at Savile Row in Itaewon was a pretty good tailor if ur heading that way. It's on Panpo-ro.. if you head toward the Crown Hotel from Itaewon-no(ro) then you should find it on the left. Very nice guy, and considering he works across the road from the base, he has a wonderful clipped English accent!

Sorry I can't council on the metaphysical discussion that seems to have run riot on the board, nor offer sympathy for your mystery plight which I assume has been resolved in the last month.

Okasan - thanks for the "debate" its nice to see some pithy banter going on this board for a change.