Hidehiko Ishizuka of “Honjamaka” talks about why he often sees people wearing suspenders… “There’s a fat guy about clothes

Hello, everyone. My name is Hidehiko Ishizuka, and I feel somewhat relieved when I see slightly larger elementary school students on their way to school in my neighborhood.

Starting with this issue, I will write about “A certain fat person’s way of life” related to food, clothing, and housing in three parts.

What do ordinary people not understand? A certain fat person?

Let’s start with clothing. Have you ever had the experience that “one size fits all” is not “one size fits all”? I once lifted my hand to hail a cab on the 7th Ring Road wearing a free size shirt, and it tore at the armpit.

I prefer to wear pants that are one size larger or made of stretchy material. This is because it is impossible to squat when wearing pants that fit snugly.

If you wear tight-fitting pants, you have no choice but to give up when you drop coins under a vending machine, and if you put a thousand-yen bill in your pocket in the summer, the bill will get wet and tear off due to sweat.

By the way, don’t you often see fat guys in suspenders? They are not fashionable, but they stop the pants from slipping down. Since fat people do not have a narrow waist, a normal belt will come off just after walking 100 meters.

In my case, I chose overalls instead of suspenders. They wrap around my body and never slip off. Overalls have a roomy waist, so there is no need to loosen the belt. The many pockets on the overalls were also a big plus, so I could tuck croquettes and other items I couldn’t hold in my hands into the pockets when we were out on location eating.

T-shirts, socks, and shoes are all part of the “fatty” syndrome.

Next, let’s look at T-shirts. In recent years, the fashion industry has been very generous to fat people. The advent of cool and mesh fabrics has extended the lifespan of fat people.

Other than the material, the color is what we should pay attention to. Gray makes sweat stand out. Black has the disadvantage of making the body look tighter and the remaining salt clearly visible when the sweat dries. Yellow makes the fat look even more bloated, but it attracts first-time bugs. What color you wear is up to you (urban legend, huh?).

Then there are socks. For most fat people, the moment of putting on socks is hell. This is because you have to hold your breath to put them on. When you put them on, you sit on a chair or on the floor. If you can put on socks while standing, we regret to say that you are off our membership list.

Finally, there are shoes. I have never met a fat person with small feet. This is because it is the feet that support the entire weight of the fat person. In fact, as I gained weight, my feet grew in size.

There was once a location where Hikaru Ijuin and I enjoyed skiing together. The production had prepared the ski wear for us. We went to the ski shoe rental booth. My foot size is 28 cm and Mr. Ijuin’s is 31 cm. My 28cm size was available, but I had to give it up because my calves were too thick.

As for Mr. Ijuin, the moment I said, “I am 31 centimeters,” the staff half laughed. The location was hastily changed from skiing to sledding. The sled didn’t go as far as we had hoped because of his heavy weight, and we managed to get down the mountain by twisting and turning as hard as we could. Sweat dripped from their foreheads in the sub-zero world and soon turned to thrush.

Still, the fat is fun. For those seeking comfort, head to your nearest Sakazen.

From the June 27/July 4, 2025 issue of FRIDAY