Your First Suit in Tokyo, Without the Guesswork
Interviews, 入社式, weddings: what to buy, what it costs, and when to order so it's ready on the day
Updated 17 Oct 2026
Prices and rules checked 17 October 2026. Numbered references in [brackets] point to the sources at the end. Paragraphs labelled Our take are opinion.
Your first suit in Japan is usually for one of three things: job hunting, your first day at a company, or a friend's wedding. Each comes with its own unwritten dress code, and none of them is a good place to get it wrong. The good news is that a suit made to your measurements costs less here than most newcomers assume.
Three ways to buy
Off the rack (既製品, kiseihin). You buy it and get it hemmed. Department-store chains sell recruitment suits from about ¥22,000 at full price, and often below that during their job-hunting sales [1].
Pattern order (パターンオーダー). You try on a sample "gauge" suit in your nearest size, and the shop adjusts length, sleeves and width from there. The usual range is roughly ¥20,000–50,000, ready in a few weeks [2]. Easy order (イージーオーダー) goes a step further and modifies the paper pattern itself, at around ¥50,000–200,000 [2].
Full bespoke (フルオーダー). A pattern drafted from scratch, with at least one basted fitting (仮縫い, karinui). It typically starts around ¥200,000 and takes months [2].
Our take: for a first suit, pattern order is the right tool. It gives you a better fit than off the rack for about the same money as a mid-range ready-made suit. Save bespoke for when you know what you like.
Real prices from the directory
These are published starting prices from listings on Suited Tokyo. All include tax unless noted.
| Shop | From | Typical lead time |
|---|---|---|
| DIFFERENCE (Aoyama, Yokohama, Chiba, Funabashi, Kashiwa) | ¥30,800 first order; 2 suits from ¥56,000 | ~3 weeks [2] |
| GINZA Global Style (Ginza, Kichijoji, Yokohama, Chiba, Urawa, Omiya) | ¥41,800; ¥26,400 each when you order 2+ | 3–4 weeks; ~10-day plan on request [3] |
| BIGVISION (Shinjuku, Akihabara, Yokohama, Chiba, Omiya) | ¥27,500 (third-party figure; confirm in store) | ~1 month; 7–10 days express (+¥3,300) [2][4] |
| SUIT SELECT AI Speed Order (Yokohama, Urawa, Omiya, Kawagoe) | ¥42,900 | from 10 days (10 limited fabrics); 2–3 weeks otherwise [5] |
| TAGARU (Omotesando, Daikanyama, Ebisu) | ¥42,900 | 7-day express line, limited fabrics [6] |
| Drapper Hope Tailoring (Minami-Aoyama), bespoke | ¥115,000 | ask the shop [7] |
| Tailor Ginza Takahashi, bespoke two-piece | ¥495,000 | ~4 weeks to first fitting, then ~5 weeks [8] |
Starting prices assume the cheapest fabric and no paid options. Budget another ¥5,000–10,000 for the extras you'll actually want.
Job hunting (就活, shūkatsu)
The facts. The recruitment suit (リクルートスーツ) has no official spec, but the conventions are consistent: plain black, dark navy or charcoal; a two-button single-breasted jacket with only the top button done up; a white shirt [9][10]. Black is the most common choice among new graduates. Light grey reads as casual and is best avoided [9]. Recruiters care more about fit and cleanliness than about colour [9].
On timing, the government's official schedule for students graduating in spring 2028 is company information sessions from 1 March, selection from 1 June of the final year, and formal offers from 1 October [11]. In practice it starts earlier. One private survey found that more than half of spring-2027 graduates already held offers by 1 March [12].
Our take: if you can only buy one suit, get dark navy rather than recruitment black. It works for interviews, is fine for your first year at work, and doesn't look like a student uniform in month six. Have it ready before internship season, not before 1 June.
Starting work (入社式)
Most Japanese companies hold their entrance ceremony on or around 1 April, the start of the business year. You'll want a conservative suit and at least two shirts on day one.
Our take: order by early February. A three-week lead time is the standard estimate, not a promise in peak season, and DIFFERENCE notes that busy periods can stretch delivery [2]. Ordering two suits is also where the price breaks kick in: Global Style's 2+ offer and DIFFERENCE's 2-for-¥56,000 deal both bring the per-suit price under ¥30,000 [2][3].
Weddings and ceremonies
The facts. The standard choice for a male guest is a formal black suit (礼服, reifuku: a deeper, matte black, not a business black) or a dark navy or charcoal suit, worn with a white shirt and a white or silver-grey tie [13][14]. A black tie means a funeral, so don't wear one. Avoid a black vest with a black suit too [14]. "平服で" on an invitation means semi-formal, not casual [13]. Close relatives and guests of honour lean towards the black suit, while friends and colleagues can wear a dark suit [13].
The busiest wedding months are November, October and May [15].
Our take: a black formal suit is one of the most useful things to own in Japan, because a change of tie turns the same suit into funeral attire. Most pattern-order shops can make one, so ask for フォーマル生地 (formal fabric). Order six weeks before an autumn wedding.
At the fitting
Plan on about one to one and a half hours: a consultation about use and budget, fabric choice, measuring in a gauge suit, then options such as lining and buttons [2][3]. Bring the shoes you'll wear with the suit and a suit that fits you well, if you have one [2].
Check that the shoulder seam ends at your shoulder, that you can button the jacket without the fabric pulling into an X, and that a little shirt cuff shows past the sleeve. Many shops include free alterations after delivery. SUIT SELECT, for example, offers six months [5].
Phrases that do the work
- 就活用のスーツを作りたいです。Shūkatsu-yō no sūtsu o tsukuritai desu. I'd like a suit for job hunting.
- 結婚式に着ていきます。Kekkonshiki ni kite ikimasu. I'll wear it to a wedding.
- 予算は五万円以内です。Yosan wa go-man-en inai desu. My budget is under ¥50,000.
- いつ仕上がりますか? Itsu shiagarimasu ka? When will it be ready?
- 〇日までに必要です。[date] made ni hitsuyō desu. I need it by [date].
- もう少しゆったりめで。Mō sukoshi yuttari-me de. A little looser, please. (きつめ, kitsume: a little tighter.)
- 英語で対応できますか? Eigo de taiō dekimasu ka? Can you help in English?
- 免税できますか? Menzei dekimasu ka? Can I buy this tax-free?
Bigger or taller?
Off the rack, Japanese chains do stock larger sizes. Aoyama's King & Tall recruitment suits are listed at ¥39,490 [1]. Made to measure usually solves the problem better, but expect a surcharge. BIGVISION charges 10–30% extra for sizes beyond its standard range [4], and Ginza Takahashi adds 20% for special sizes [8]. BIGVISION also has English-speaking staff [4], which makes it the first stop we'd suggest for big builds.
In Tokyo for a week?
TAGARU (7-day line, hotel delivery, English staff usually at Omotesando) [6], BIGVISION (7–10 days, delivery to your accommodation for ¥1,650) [4] and SUIT SELECT (from 10 days) [5] are the realistic options. Go on your first day, not your third.
Tax-free, briefly. This applies to temporary visitors only, not residents. For purchases made until 31 October 2026, the current system still applies: eligible visitors show their passport and the tax is deducted at the register. For purchases from 1 November 2026, Japan switches to a refund system [17]. You pay the full tax-inclusive price, and the tax is refunded after Customs confirms at departure, within 90 days of purchase, that you're taking the goods out of Japan. The minimum is ¥5,000 (excluding tax) per store per day, and the items must be with you at the airport kiosk before you check your bags [16][17]. Since April 2025, items you post overseas yourself no longer qualify, though shipping arranged by the store may [17]. Global Style requires tax-free customers to collect from the store where they paid [3]. Ask each shop how it handles a made-to-order piece.
Fabric for Tokyo weather
Tokyo averages 26.9°C in August, with a rainy season from early June to mid-July. September and October are the wettest months, and January averages 5.4°C [18][19].
Our take: a mid-weight wool or wool-blend in the 230–260 g/m² range is the true all-season choice here. Ask about stretch and washable options for a commuter suit: SUIT SELECT, for example, lists washable treatment as a ¥2,200 option [5]. Avoid heavy flannel for anything you'll wear between May and October.
Mistakes we keep seeing
- Ordering three weeks before the date. Leave a buffer for a re-fit.
- Buying recruitment black as an all-purpose suit. It's neither a formal black nor a versatile business suit.
- Comparing starting prices. Compare the price of the fabric you actually picked, plus options.
- Wearing a black tie to a wedding.
- Assuming you'll get English support. Book ahead and write "English support" in the reservation, as Global Style asks [3].
Browse every shop, filtered by budget, English support and trip-readiness, at suitedtokyo.com.
Suited Tokyo is independent, and no shop paid to appear in this article. Prices and rules change, so confirm with the shop before you go.
Sources
- 洋服の青山 online store, men's recruitment suits (accessed Oct 2026): https://www.y-aoyama.jp/ec/shop/r/r256_sprice/ and https://www.y-aoyama.jp/ec/shop/r/r256/
- DIFFERENCE, "千葉のおすすめオーダースーツ店10選" (order-type price ranges, lead times, fitting flow; note this is a retailer's own guide): https://difference.tokyo/topics/styling_guide/detail_503.html
- GINZA Global Style, for visitors: https://www.global-style.jp/fair/for-visitors/
- BIGVISION, "Would you like MADE-TO-MEASURE Suits in Japan?": https://www.big-vision.co.jp/voice/detail.php?id=195461
- SUIT SELECT, AI Speed Order: https://www.suit-select.com/aispeedorder/index.html
- TAGARU, English page: https://www.tagaru.jp/english
- Drapper Hope Tailoring, price: https://www.drapper-hope.com/en/price
- Tailor Ginza Takahashi, price list: https://www.ginza-takahashi.co.jp/english/price-list/
- 履歴書Do, 面接スーツの選び方: https://www.rirekisyodo.com/exam/interview-suit.html
- ホワイトキャリア, リクルートスーツの選び方: https://jws-japan.or.jp/whitecareer/blog/3837
- Cabinet Secretariat (内閣官房), 2027年度卒業・修了予定者等の就職・採用活動に関する要請: https://www.cas.go.jp/jp/seisaku/shushoku_katsudou_yousei/2027nendosotu/index.html
- Jiji Press, 24 Mar 2026: https://www.jiji.com/jc/article?g=soc&k=2026032400989
- ウェディングニュース, 結婚式の服装マナー大全: https://www.weddingnews.jp/magazine/166347
- AOYAMA Journal, 男性ゲストの服装マナー: https://www.y-aoyama.jp/aoyama_journal/formal-weddingparty-style002/
- ゼクシィ 結婚トレンド調査2024 (Recruit): https://souken.zexy.net/data/trend2024/XY_MT24_report.pdf
- Japan Tourism Agency, Refund Method page for travellers: https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tax-free/page01_000001_00028.html
- JNTO, Japan's Tax Exemption: https://www.japan.travel/en/plan/japans-tax-exemption/
- Japan Meteorological Agency, Climatological Normals 1991–2020: https://www.data.jma.go.jp/stats/en/normal/normal.html
- JMA, Climate of Kanto-Koshin: https://www.data.jma.go.jp/cpd/longfcst/en/tourist/file/Kanto_Koshin.html