Japanese sizes: how to find yours
This is the first thing a buyer from Bishkek or Almaty trips over — and the most expensive to fix later. Returning an item from Japan costs more than the item itself, so it's important to get the size right the first time.
The main rule: Japanese clothing is one step smaller than European. A Japanese L is a European M. If you usually wear M, in Japanese sizing you need XL.
Clothing sizes
Measure your chest circumference at the widest point, keeping the tape horizontal and without holding your stomach in. Check the 'chest' column and take the Japanese marking on that row.
| Japan | International | Russia | Chest, cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | XS | 44 | 86 |
| M | S | 46 | 90 |
| L | M | 48 | 96 |
| XL | L | 50 | 102 |
| XXL | XL | 52 | 108 |
Japanese clothing runs one step smaller than European: a Japanese L equals a European M. If you normally wear M, in Japanese sizing you need XL. Oversized styles (Uniqlo U, streetwear) are cut looser — with those you can stay in your usual size.
Shoe sizes
Stand on a sheet of paper, trace your foot and measure the distance from the heel to the longest toe. Measure in the evening — by the end of the day the foot is slightly larger. Look for the resulting length in centimeters in the 'foot length' column.
| Japan | International | Russia | Foot length, cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| 240 | EU 38 | 38 | 24,0 |
| 250 | EU 39.5 | 39,5 | 25,0 |
| 260 | EU 41 | 41 | 26,0 |
| 270 | EU 42.5 | 42,5 | 27,0 |
| 280 | EU 44 | 44 | 28,0 |
Japanese shoes are marked by foot length in millimeters: 260 means 26.0 cm. It's not an arbitrary number but a direct measurement — so the sizing is more precise than European. Japanese lasts are narrower than European ones: if you have wide feet, take half a size up.
Still not sure?
Send us the item name and your usual size — we'll check the measurements of that specific model on the Japanese site and tell you what to order. It's free and comes with no obligation.