Surprisingly, but true: Japanese schoolchildren and students adore uniforms. Rarely do any of them strive to throw it off their shoulders as soon as they step on the threshold of their home after classes. Japanese school uniforms are unique both in appearance and in the principle of creating ensembles.
The look of the school uniform was modeled on the Meiji era and is a sailor style for girls and a military style for boys. In the mid-20th century, the style of uniform began to change, acquiring a more European slant, however, as of 2012, more than 50% of Japanese high schools still use the sailor style. The Japanese uniform is interesting because there is no single strict uniform that all students in the country must wear. Each school has its own uniform, which changes depending on the season and has accessories that make it attractive.
National school uniform: traditions and rules
Schools in Japan are divided into two categories: private and municipal. They differ in funding, training programs and internal rules. But for all schools in Japan there is a single law: compulsory national school clothes.
The rules of the educational institution regulate the wearing of a suit. The models are built according to the classic principle: light top and dark bottom . There are three types of clothing in educational institutions:
- for primary school;
- for high school;
- for high school.
The classic costume of Japanese schoolchildren consists of six compulsory items :
- a skirt for girls, shorts or trousers for boys;
- girl's blouse and boy's shirt;
- jacket or blazer;
- accessories: tie, bow or ribbon;
- socks and knee socks;
- dark shoes.
What is the Japanese uniform?
There are different schools in Japan: municipal and private. They differ not only in the form of financing, but also in the strictness of the rules. Nevertheless, in almost every school, students are required to attend classes in specialized clothing - a school uniform.
Its type is established by the rules of the educational institution. Municipal schools are not very strict about the clothing of their students. Children are allowed to wear regular jeans to class. But in private ones everything is very strict. Children are taught respect for the school. Wearing a uniform is a kind of sign of dedication to school.
The costumes of boys and girls were created on the basis of the sailor uniform of the English military. They consist of various elements: trousers and skirts; tunics, jackets or jackets, sweaters and vests, shirts and blouses. The set often also includes knee socks or socks of a special color; even bags are offered to be purchased of the same type (not everywhere).
School uniforms in Japan are distinguished by the variety of sets assembled from standard elements. In municipal educational institutions they are simpler, in private ones they include more toiletries and accessories. The cost of the sets also varies. It can reach up to 100,000 yen.
Samples of the first school uniform
seifuku appeared at the Gakushuin . Translated from Japanese, “fuku” means “uniform”, and “sailor” means “sailor suit”.
At the turn of the 19th – 20th centuries, boys’ clothing consisted of a jacket with a stand-up collar, trousers and a cap. Girls wore hakama and a loose kimono blouse.
History of school uniforms in Japan
School uniforms or seifuku were first introduced in Japan about 150 years ago. It was originally used to show which community a student belonged to.
Sailor-style suits appeared in the Land of the Rising Sun in 1920, and school jackets were added in the 1980s. Today, the uniform has become one of the most important symbols of Japanese kawaii culture.
Classic clothes for girls
nautical-style dress is a classic version of the Japanese schoolgirl uniform. The kit includes:
- blazer;
- sailor blouse;
- skirt;
- socks;
- neck decoration.
The top of the sailor suit is a white blouse with a turn-down collar. A short sleeve blouse is a summer version of the model. Long sleeve - winter option .
A checkered or plain skirt is the second element of the set. Usually the style of the skirt is pleated . Length - above the knee . Popular colors: blue, gray, green. The skirt is complemented by a jacket of a single color.
Girls go to classes with bare legs. The rules allow socks, and in cold weather - long socks. Colors: blue, black and white. Modern Japanese women love to wear accordion leg warmers.
Japanese girls do not wear platform or stiletto shoes. Dark-colored low-heeled shoes or moccasins are acceptable. Indoors, removable Uabaki - Japanese indoor slippers - are often used.
The decoration of the suit is a bright-colored bow or tie.
The difference between the clothes of older and younger schoolchildren
The form varies depending on the age of the students.
Children are usually dressed in shorts and short skirts with jackets. Element color: dark blue or brown.
Older boys and girls dress more differently. Sailor suits are introduced already in high school. Young ladies buy several types of special uniform blouses: with sleeves of different lengths, for example. Each for its own season. For boys, different shirts designed for any weather are also required.
Kids take off their jackets in the heat. They are only allowed to wear a shirt. At the same time, skirts and shorts are equipped with suspenders to keep them on slender figures. In middle and high schools the rules are stricter. If the uniform includes, for example, a vest, it cannot be removed even in hot weather. The rule applies mainly to private educational institutions.
In elementary school, children mostly wear backpacks. Teenagers are switching to uniform bags. If a child is interested in sports, he is allowed to wear a branded backpack or bag. By the way, in Japanese schools there are no changing areas. Sportswear is worn under the uniform in order to prepare for a physical education lesson or participation in competitions without embarrassment.
Anime and the iconic Japanese school uniform
Characters in Japanese school uniforms live on the pages of comics, in works of art and feature films. Anime heroines with large, expressive eyes often become idols for teenagers. Modern girls strive to look as stylish as their favorite cartoon characters. Tian in a plaid skirt and a snow-white sailor suit has become a symbol of an attractive girl.
Sailor uniforms have become part of otaku .
Why form?
Young people respect uniforms. It emphasizes belonging to an educational institution. They decided to introduce it more than one hundred and fifty years ago. The idea was simple: children should not focus on the inequality of parents who are not able to dress their offspring equally. Everyone wears the same clothes, which means the children pay more attention to their activities.
In addition, uniforms, like the rules of school life, contribute to the development of a sense of collectivism in children. It should be noted that the composition of the classes changes every year. It is believed that this way children communicate more with each other and acquire communication skills. And this, in turn, leads to the creation of an atmosphere of patriotism towards the educational institution.
- School uniform in anime
The sailor fuku uniform holds a special place in otaku culture. Many anime, manga, and doujinshi characters wear it. For example, there is a character - an ordinary Japanese schoolboy. As a rule, this is the main character of the anime, who, during the course of the plot, is given the opportunity to save the whole world from a terrible catastrophe. Bishōjos usually appear in school uniforms. This is a high school student with outstanding appearance. The whole plot revolves around her beauty and talents.
Japanese school uniforms for every taste and budget can be chosen in the online store
Anime Amino
I was wondering why the Japanese school uniform resembles a sailor suit and so I decided to make such an article.
The Japanese are so pedagogical in everything that they even thought through the school uniform to the smallest detail. School uniforms in Japan are called seifuku (Japanese: 制服). It is a standard for society and educational institutions. Nowadays young people respect school uniforms.
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The school uniform in the Land of the Rising Sun has its own history and characteristics that distinguish it from any other uniform in the world. It is mandatory in all educational institutions. In private schools, the rules regarding uniform are stricter than in municipal ones. Each school has its own uniform, which may vary depending on the season.
Traditionally, uniforms in Japan are divided not only by gender, but also by age categories - the uniforms of students in elementary, middle and high schools are different ("And there is one country" - as one bear said: new_moon_with_face:)
School uniform in junior school
There are no strict restrictions in junior school. Boys should wear white shirts, dark blue or black shorts (at any time of the year) and caps (they probably look like little soldiers ^-^). Girls wear gray skirts and white blouses. Children can also be dressed in jackets in cold weather. Skirts and shorts are equipped with suspenders. Children mostly wear backpacks, and panama hats can serve as a headdress. The main colors are dark blue or brown.
[BCU] Middle and High School Uniforms
There are strict rules for students that cannot be broken. Boys must wear military-style suits, and girls must wear sailor-style suits. Teenagers usually have uniform bags, and caps or caps serve as headwear.
[BCU]History
School uniforms were modeled after the Meiji era. It represents a military style for boys and a sailor style for girls. In the mid-20th century, the style began to change, acquiring a European slant (oh, this Europe is omnipresent). Sailor style was introduced as a girl's uniform by Elizabeth Lee, who studied in England and then took the post of rector of one of the higher educational institutions. The main moral of this form is this: children should not pay attention to the inequality of parents who cannot dress their children the same way. If everyone has the same uniform, it means that students will pay more attention to their studies.
Pullover shape
It consists of a checkered or plain pressed skirt. The length of the skirt is strictly regulated; for example, it is believed that the hem should be 15 cm above the knees - this is the ideal length. But recently, Japanese girls have fallen in love with midis and therefore some schools have allowed longer skirts. The set also includes a shirt with a guis (marine wide collar). Their appearance, color and shape are determined by the school itself. In addition, jackets or vests are offered. There are no such strict rules when it comes to shoes. Japanese women prefer moccasins. Shoe color is brown or black. The heel should be minimal. Wearing platform shoes or stiletto heels is considered bad manners at school.
The main colors are white, blue, red (this is how :new_moon_with_face: started on purpose), black and dark green.
Coon uniform
Boys have a predominant military style. The set mainly includes trousers (black, gray or blue) and a shirt. Jackets or vests can serve as additions.
There are also schools where boys are dressed in a formal gakuran suit, consisting of a frock coat with buttons up to the throat and black or blue trousers. This uniform is derived from the Prussian military uniform.
Japanese macho :new_moon_with_face:
And some facts
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: There was a time when Japanese students did not want to wear school uniforms, but thanks to the fact that Japanese school uniforms began to appear in anime and manga and gained great popularity outside the country, now the uniforms are worn with joy.
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: There is a type of Japanese shape that consists of a sweater, shirt and skirt/pants. The main color of this form is gray (I don’t like this form :unamused: ).
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: Japanese students love their shapes (not like us).
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: a bow or tie is a must-have accessory for chicks.
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: students are supposed to go to school with bare feet, and socks are allowed for insulation. The classic shape includes knee-high socks. Their color is in harmony with the shape. Today's schoolgirls are moving away from strict rules. They wear socks that reach mid-calf or even lower. Also in the Land of All Anime, accordion leg warmers are popular (my favorite: purple_heart:), and to prevent them from falling off they are glued with a special means.
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: the shape is often associated with carefree youth.
:diamond_shape_with_a_dot_inside: The sailor suit plays a big role in otaku culture. There are a lot of anime, manga and doujinshi where the main characters wear school uniforms
Thank you for your attention.
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School skirt length
It is generally accepted that the optimal length of a skirt is 15 cm above the knee - not too long, not too short. But in some educational institutions, school rules require that the skirt be long. In such cases, after school, schoolgirls simply fold their skirts two or three times to make them shorter.
Our readers write: I believe that skirts for girls are firmly back in fashion. They, as suggested, can be made sophisticated and elegant even for everyday school uniforms, but fluffy skirts are suitable for a ball, as are fluffy tutu skirts for girls at dances. I picked out tulle for a girl on the online store website https://mariamirabela.ru/list.php?r=30&pr=23&c=43 and am going to buy it.
Socks
Socks for school uniforms have changed a lot over the years, because they are not just socks, but an attribute that changes the entire image of an outfit. Basically, there are two main colors: navy blue and white. The standard length is socks that reach just below the knee.
Gradually, socks with a height two-thirds the height of the previous version became the most popular.
However, the newest trend is to wear really short socks.
And, of course, we must not forget about this version of socks:
School shoes
Of course, schoolgirls also care about choosing shoes. Most prefer shoes or moccasins, black or brown.
Moccasins with low heels have appeared in recent collections.
Another new trend is to wear sneakers with your uniform.
School uniforms for girls: from hakama to “sailor suit”
The first widespread school uniform for girls was hakama pants. In the pre-war Japanese education system, boys and girls were taught separately after junior school, and some girls went to high school after graduating from junior school. In such schools, hakama was introduced as a school uniform in 1900.
Schoolgirl wearing hakama (circa 1900, preserved at Ochanomizu Women's University)
Women's hakama at first glance resemble a skirt, but this is a new garment invented during the Meiji era. Originally, hakama was a samurai garment that resembled pants, and women did not wear it. In the early Meiji period, female students sometimes wore men's hakama, but were harshly criticized for allegedly dressing up as men, which eventually led to the introduction of hakama designed for women.
Women's schools placed great importance on physical health, often participating in physical education, and schools recommended hakama, which hide calves showing from under a kimono, as clothing that allowed for vigorous movement. On the other hand, the female students themselves perceived hakama positively and wanted to wear them. The fact is that hakama were associated with the imperial house and Shinto shrines and had their own symbolic value. For a long time, girls serving in shrines wore hakama, unmarried girls wore purple, married girls wore red. High school girls' hakama were a cross between priestesses' clothing and men's hakama. By the way, in the Meiji era, the color most often used for hakama for high school students was reddish-brown.
Schoolgirls liked hakama, they wanted to wear them and either wore hakama to school themselves or asked the principal to allow them to wear hakama. Behind the decision to make the hakama the standard school uniform for female students was precisely this activity of the schoolgirls themselves. Dressed in hakama made from imported cashmere, with European accessories such as bows and umbrellas, Meiji schoolgirls embodied the progressive spirit of the era, interested in mixing Japanese and Western elements and experimenting with fashion.
In the 1920s, European-style clothes began to be used as school uniforms for girls, and schoolgirls liked serafuku, or “sailor suits,” most of all. According to the recollections of people of that time, some schoolgirls themselves made changes to their clothes, bringing them closer to their ideal, shortening their jackets and increasing the number of pleats on the skirt. We see that schoolgirls had a desire to change or create their own uniform, without looking at the requirements of school rules - we can see such violations of the rules regarding school uniforms even today. From ancient times to the present day, this game of cat and mouse has continued between schoolgirls who break the rules to look the way they want, and the teachers who catch them to punish them for violations.
School bags
Some schools have requirements for briefcases, others do not. Standard types of school bags are made of nylon and leather.
Backpacks are also popular lately.
There was also a very popular brand called World Pegasus. Their collection includes many colorful nylon bags.
School bags are also a way to show off your personality.
Sweaters and vests of Japanese schoolgirls
If schoolgirls don't have a school sweater or vest to wear, they choose one of their own. Main colors: white, black, gray and beige.
The most popular sweater brand was Uniqlo. When they released a very colorful collection, many schoolgirls started wearing them. Gradually, bright sweaters combined with uniforms became very popular.
Along with sweaters, wearing a sweatshirt over a uniform has also become fashionable:
Gender diversity
Yokota will become the 13th of Shimane Prefecture's 34 full-time high schools to allow female students to wear trousers . However, the freedom to choose between trousers and a skirt does not apply to male students. “At this stage, we are only changing the dress code [girls' ability to choose] for schoolgirls,” said Kyoko Mitani, a humanities teacher at Yokota. However, she added, “Given the diverse opinions of students and their guardians, I want us to continue to think about gender diversity,” implying that the school may soon allow male students to wear skirts
Schools in Japan have a ridiculous reason for banning freezing girls from wearing tights.
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Uniforms in public and private Japanese schools
In Japan, there are approximately the same number of private schools as public schools. Most schoolchildren begin wearing uniforms in high school (with the exception of private elementary schools).
Public school uniforms are generally simpler than those worn by private school students. However, there are many schools that do not have a uniform uniform, regardless of whether they are public or private. In such cases, schoolchildren wear their usual clothes, and most girls prefer to wear the so-called fake uniform or “nanchatte” uniform. Schoolgirls start their school kit from scratch, so they usually have several types of skirts and other accessories. Most often, preference is given to the Eastboy brand.
In addition to, in fact, the uniform set itself, Japanese schoolgirls very often buy other clothes and accessories.
