{
  "id": 8788043,
  "title": "I felt confident in my appearance and how I dressed. Then, I moved to Japan.",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/20/i-felt-confident-in-my-appearance-and-how-i-dressed-then-i-moved-to",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-20T22:42:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Business Insider",
    "slug": "business-insider",
    "url": "https://www.businessinsider.com/moving-to-japan-feel-out-of-place-dislike-appearance-body-2026-9"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kerri King, a plus-size woman from New Zealand, moved to Japan three years ago. Initially, she felt confident in her appearance and how she dressed, having already overcome body-image challenges from early motherhood. However, living in a country where she is visibly non-Japanese made her more self-conscious about her body and how she dresses. Being a foreigner in Japan brought along a level of self-consciousness she had never experienced before. She often compared herself to those around her and felt like she was being judged, even if she wasn't. The visibility that comes with being a foreigner in Japan led to a heightened awareness of how she looked, which sometimes made her feel like a \"yeti\" compared to locals. Despite initially considering herself confident, Kerri found herself questioning her body, particularly her visible body hair and tattoo, which were uncommon among locals. Tattoos in Japan carry a strong stigma due to their association with organized crime groups, causing her to feel self-conscious about her ink. The limited availability of clothing in Japan, designed for the petite Japanese market, made it challenging for her to find clothes that fit well. This led her to change her style to fit in, questioning her body and appearance more frequently. While she still dyes her hair and maintains some aspects of her alternative aesthetic, she has started wearing makeup more frequently and has accumulated a collection of Japanese beauty products. Despite feeling more self-conscious, Kerri acknowledges that her experiences in Japan have pushed her to experiment with her self-expression and explore her identity.",
  "summary": "Moving to Japan has made me question how I dress and present myself. Sometimes I feel like I don't belong because of my body and appearance.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}