When we first laid eyes on the following photos, we thought they were part of some kind of elaborate joke, but our Japanese sister site Pouch has it on good authority that one online retailer is now selling bras, panties and even silky nightgowns that, despite looking exactly like something you’d find in a lady’s bedroom drawer, are actually intended for men.

Coming from “Wish Room Men’s”, a retailer who sells via online shopping outlet Rakuten, these undeniably pretty pieces of lingerie are, bizarrely, made for the men of Japan, with new products due to arrive “mid February”.

And this isn’t simply some wily online merchant selling a bunch of regular women’s underwear to creepy dudes online; the garments are apparently specifically designed with men’s larger frames in mind, and although they still feature all the lace, floral print and underwire you might expect to meet during a rummage through grandma’s knicker collection, the bras’ cup sections lack any padding so as to allow men to slip them on without feeling “unnatural”. We can’t imagine they’d go unnoticed when worn beneath a white work shirt, though…

The thinking behind the underwear appears to be to allow men the chance to enjoy the same kind of soft, luxurious undergarments that women are used to. Now that I come to think of it, my regular old cotton boxers don’t feel especially comfortable today – it might be nice to give my privates a little luxury for once. Then again, I could probably live without the lace, floral patterns, or the need for anything cupping my steadily developing moobs, so I might just stick with what I know.

The bras and panties come in pink and “mint” green sets, and retail for the surprisingly low price of 1,995 yen (US$19), so if you’re in the line for something that little bit more ooh-la-la this new year, it might actually be worth checking out Wish Room Men’s store on Rakuten. It’s okay, we won’t tell anyone.

▼ Your junk, their slings

▼ The bras look pretty legit if you ask us

▼ “I want to experience what women do!”

▼ The “Men’s baby doll” nighties, we feel, might be taking comfort a bit too far…

You know, Japan, I always try to stand up for you when people call you “weird”, but you’re not exactly helping me here…

Images via Rakuten

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