KEY TAKEAWAYS

• What are the fashion trends in Japan in 2026 | 2026?

• What are Japanese girls wearing these days?

• Japanese girls short shorts and high heels

• Where can I buy Japanese fashion?

• Can I get Japanese things from this site?

JAPANESE GIRLS: What are the trends this year?

Daniel TJ International Correspondent Tokyo, Japan

It’s funny—every winter in Japan, right around the time the rest of the world starts bundling up like human dumplings, I start noticing something that still makes me smile, even after years of living here.

You’ll be walking through Shibuya or Shinjuku, the wind slicing through your jacket like it has a personal vendetta, and then—bam—you see a girl strutting confidently in shorts so short they’d make a California summer blush, paired with heels that click on the pavement like they’re keeping rhythm for the whole street.

And honestly? It kind of works. It more than works. It’s a whole mood.

I remember the first winter this really hit me. I was still new to Japan, probably looking like a confused tourist wrapped in three scarves and two coats.

Meanwhile, a group of university girls walked past me wearing oversized sweaters, tiny denim shorts, long bare legs, and the kind of heels that would send me to the ER if I tried to walk in them.

They were laughing, completely unbothered by the cold, as if their legs were immune to windchill. I swear I stood there thinking, Is this… normal?

"Am I underdressed or overdressed? Should I go home and rethink my entire concept of seasonal clothing?"

But the more winters I lived through, the more I realized something: this isn’t just fashion—it’s a culture, an attitude, a kind of fearless expression where practicality takes a backseat to aesthetic and confidence.

Japan’s winter fashion operates by its own rules, and honestly, that’s one of the things I love most about it.

There’s this playful contrast that shows up everywhere: heavy coats with light layers underneath, plush scarves next to bare shoulders, and yes—thick winter coats paired with shorts that look like they’re auditioning for July.

It’s a mix of cute, bold, a little rebellious, and unapologetically stylish.

Part of it comes from the layering culture here. People love oversized coats, fluffy down jackets, big textured knits… but what’s underneath often stays sleek, simple, and minimal.

Shorts in winter create this deliberate imbalance: the top half says cozy while the bottom half says I’m still cute though. And honestly, the heels kind of pull everything together.

In Tokyo especially, heels are almost like punctuation marks to an outfit—adding height, shape, and that sharp little click-click confidence that feels very “city girl in control.”

I’ve talked to friends about this, and everyone gives a different reason. One girl from Osaka told me she wears shorts in winter because tights make her feel too constricted.

Another friend in Tokyo said it’s just what she’s used to—she grew up seeing her older cousins dress like that, so it feels normal.

Someone else told me, half joking, half serious, that cold legs build character. (I’m still not sure I believe that one.)

But there’s something else too—Japan has heated everything. Trains? Warm. Buildings? Warm. Restaurants? Warm.

Even the toilet seats are warm. So in a weird way, you’re not actually outside long enough to freeze, at least not in cities like Tokyo or Yokohama.

You walk from warm building to warm train to warm café. Instead of dressing for the outdoors, fashion here often feels like dressing for the overall flow of the day, which is mostly spent indoors. Shorts make sense… sort of.

I’ve definitely come to appreciate the aesthetic, even if I still can’t personally pull it off. There’s this sense of freedom to it—like fashion doesn’t have to be tied to the weather, or at least not limited by it. It’s very Japan, honestly.

Style here has this mix of structure and rule-breaking, of old-school elegance and street-style experimentation. People aren’t afraid to dress exactly how they want to, even if the thermostat disagrees.

One of my favorite places to people-watch is the crossing at Harajuku around dusk in winter. You get this gorgeous golden light bouncing off buildings, and suddenly the whole intersection becomes a runway. Girls in faux-fur coats, pleated shorts, tall heeled boots.

Sometimes it’s denim cut-offs, sometimes velvet or leather shorts—paired with thick socks, or sometimes no socks at all, which still makes me internally scream, but in a respectful way.

There’s a mix of sweet and tough, soft and sharp. You’ll see pastel puffer jackets over black shorts, or a sleek long coat swinging open to reveal high-waisted shorts and stilettos. If you ever want to see confidence made visible, just watch how they walk.

Something else I’ve noticed is that Japanese winter fashion—especially this shorts-and-heels look—isn’t really about trying to look sexy or bold for someone else.

It feels more like a personal expression, the kind that comes from experimenting and having fun with your own style. There’s a kind of joy to it, a playfulness.

Even when the fashion is chic or mature, the spirit behind it feels light.

Meanwhile, every time I’ve tried wearing shorts in winter, I last maybe five minutes before regretting all my life choices.

I remember trying a winter outfit once—shorts plus tights, the “beginner version.” I made it from my apartment to the convenience store and immediately turned around.

My legs felt like they were being bitten by tiny angry ice goblins. I have so much respect for anyone who can do this daily without flinching.

There’s also something undeniably aesthetic about the whole look. Maybe it’s the proportion—the long legs with high heels, the oversized jackets creating silhouettes that are almost like fashion illustrations.

Or maybe it’s the way Japanese fashion embraces contrast: warm vs. cold, covered vs. bare, soft vs. structured. There’s an art to it, even when it’s casual.

And then there’s the social side: dressing up, even in winter, is part of city culture here. People meet friends, go shopping, go on dates, or just stroll around, and looking stylish is almost a default.

Not forced, not pressured—more like a shared unspoken language. Shorts and heels in winter? They’re just one dialect in that language.

Sometimes I get messages from friends overseas asking, “Do Japanese women really wear shorts in winter?”

And I always laugh a little, because the answer is: not only do they wear them, they make them look effortless, like the cold air is just another accessory.

Meanwhile, I’m still zipped up like a human sleeping bag.

Still, every winter I find myself inspired. No, I’m not suddenly wearing shorts in January, but I do catch myself experimenting more—mixing proportions, taking small fashion risks, layering in ways that feel less safe and more expressive.

Maybe that’s the influence of Japanese street fashion: it quietly pushes you to try a little harder, be a little braver, have a little fun.

So yeah, shorts in winter with high heels—it’s a thing. A very real, very stylish, very uniquely Japanese thing. And honestly?

Once you see it enough times, it stops feeling surprising and starts feeling iconic. It becomes part of the winter scenery, as natural as the sparklingイルミネーション lights or the smell of roasted sweet potatoes on a cold night.

And even though I may never personally conquer winter shorts, I absolutely love watching the people who do—walking through the cold like they’re warmed by sheer confidence.

If you or someone you know wants anything in Japan, contact your Personal Shopper at SavvyJapan-Today.com

HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? What do Japanese think of foreigners living in Japan?