It all revolves around...

...coffee?

There are no normal clothes for us here.

That's our problem.

Join our boys as they tackle

everyday life as as expat in Japan

in the quintessential

coffee houses of Tokyo!

Hi! I'm Stan Jedermann.

We in the West have an impression that our

east Asian neighbors are just stlightly

"vertically challenged."

That's a common misconception.

In the U.S. the average male is

about 5'10"

or about 177 cm tall.

Whereas the average Japanese man

is about 5'7"

or 171 cm tall.

There is a difference, but it's negligible.

By the way,

I know this is what you really

want me to tell you.

Why you're really listening

...about the averages below the belt.

Let me clear that up for you.

The difference between Japanese males

and U.S. males

is negligible.

But that's not the type of show

that we're making.

So let's get back to topics

that we can show our mothers.

Average sized western men

won't have any trouble finding cllothes in the city

finding clothes in the city.

But what about those of us

who are just "different?"

Are we doomed to wearing

rolled-up sleeves or

cutoff fashion?

With over 30% of

the U.S. population

already having trouble

fitting in airplane seats,

Is finding that authentic kimono

out of the question

in a country where most people are

proportioned like

shojo anime characters?

Let's find out what solutions

our boys have dug up today

in this next episode

of Coffee Yaro.

Ochiai (落合)

Welcome to Ochiai!

Located on the Tozai Line

near Nakano,

Ochiai has been a residential area

since the Edo Period.

It was originally a boom town

noted for cloth dying.

The cafe we are going to today

is called Coco House.

A simple, retro-style cafe

geared towards locals

that has been in the area

since the Showa Era.

A very residential area indeed,

but that's not all

there is to Ochiai.

The Ochiai neighborhood is where

two major rivers in Tokyo converge

The Myojoji-gawa and the Kanda-gawa.

Do you remember the Kanda-gawa

from the first episode?

This geography allowed

a lively dyeing community

to flourish in the Edo Period.

Even today,

many artisans continue to create

and exhibit their artwork

in the area.

In February every year

this history is celebrated

through a local three-day festival

called "Some-no-Komichi."

Futaba-En Cloth Dyeing

Stan needs to learn the Japanese phrase

"Iwanu-ga-hana."

To recap,

Coco House in Ochiai

is the coffee house we went to today.

Our boys visited the textile factory here

and a number of options

were given for sizes

large-sized factories

are available in the city

and special order

ensures a proper fit

which even yukata need.

However, everyone's experience

in Japan is a little different.

Which Yaro seemed most like you?

All information can be found on our

website right down here

and join us next time

as we tackle "omiyage"

and what souvenirs to buy in Japan.