Figure 1.--Japan was occupied by the United States after World War II. Western-style clothing was widely adopted by the Japanese during the occupation, but the Japanese turned mpre to European than American styles. I am not entirely sure why that was. Japanese boys mostly wore short pants for school and play. Jeans were not commonly worn, especially by primary school-age boys.

Japan until the Menji Restoration (1867) was a largely feudal society. We do not have much information on clothing before the Menji Restoration, but it was traditional costumes that were as far as we can tell largely unchanged over hundreds of years. Japanese people today dress up in these traditional outfits, but it should be remembered that the traditional outfits worn by most Japanese people were much more plain than the fancy costimes and bright colors commonly worn today. After the Menji Restoration you begin to see Western dress, especially in the cities. To some extent it was seen as an aspect of moderniization. Western-style school uniforms were adopted for the new national school system. It was not until after World war II that Western dress became widely worn in the countryside. Even though Japan was occupied by the Americans, European-style clothes became very popular for children in Japan. The short pants Japanese boys wore became destinctive by the 1970s. Beginning in the 1990s, Japanese children began to wear many of the same stules popular in American and Europe. Traditional clothes have not disappeared in Japan and are often worn by children for special occassions.

The 18th Century

Japanese boys in the 18th century wire traditional garments like their parents. Japan until the 19th century Menji Restoration was a largely feudal society closed to the West. We do not have much information on clothing before the Menji Restoration, but it was traditional costumes that were as far as we can tell largely unchanged over hundreds of years. We note that modern Japanese festivals even though based on events from various centuries seem to use costumes that are very similar. Japanese people today dress up in these traditional outfits, but it should be remembered that the traditional outfits worn by most Japanese people were much more plain than the fancy costimes and bright colors commonly worn today.

The 19th Century

Japanese boys mostly wore traditional clothing in the 19th century. This was entirely the case in the first half of the century, and largely true in the second half of the centuury even after the opening to the West. Western dress was not worn in Japan until the opening to the West initiated by Commodore Perry and his black ships at mid-century (1853). The small number of forerigners had little or no impact on Japanese clothes. It continued to be relatively until the turn of the century. After the Menji Restoration you begin to see Western dress, especially in the cities. To some extent it was seen as an aspect of moderniization. Western-style school uniforms were adopted for the new national school system.

The 20th Century

It was not until after World war II that Western dress became widely worn in the countryside. Even though Japan was occupied by the Americans, European-style clothes became very popular for children in Japan. The short pants Japanese boys wore became destinctive by the 1970s. Beginning in the 1990s, Japanese children began to wear many of the same stules popular in American and Europe.

Early 20th Century (1900-45)

The early 20th century was a tumultuous time for still very traditional Japan. The Japanese defeated the Russians in 1905, the first Asian country in centuries to defeat a European colonial power. Japan entered World War I on the allied side. Gradually militarists gained control of the government and dragged Japan into disastrous wars, first with China and then the United States. After years of bitter fighting, Japan surrendered to the United States asnd its Allies (1945). The resulting American occupation introduced foreign ideas, customs, and clothing to Japan as necer before. Traditional clothes for boys had declined by the turn of the century, although it was worn for special or ceremonial occasions. Boys mostly wore western styles. Japanese boys commonly wore short pants during the 1920s and 30s, but not usually with knee socks as in Europe. Shorts appear to have been primarily summer wear. The short pants worn by Japanese boys tended to be rather long, worn at knee length and were generally baggy. Shorts were worn by elementary-age children, but most boys began to wear longs when they reached about 12 or 13 years old and moved to secondary school. Once that happened boys wore long pants at both school and home, even for play and casual wear.

Post World War II (1945-1990)

Japanese boys after the Second World War initially continued to wear long baggy shorts. The style developed in the 1950s to very short shorts. Mothers saw short shorts as being stylish and European and thought that boys looked sweet in them. Women at the time primarily looked to Europe, not America for fashion, Fathers seemed to think that shorts were good for boys and helped to toughen them, especially during the winter. It was in continental Europe (not English) that boys, even older boys wore short pants, often cut very short. It is interesting that Japanese boys' fashions shifted to Continental European fashions, similar to the shorts worn in France and Italy. The Japanese adopted so many aspects of American popular fashion during the occupation in the 1940s and 1950s--but not boys' fashions. Probably doting Japanese mothers didn't think jeans were suitable for little boys which they wanted to dress more attractively. What ever the origin, short pants were worn as part of school uniforms and for both dress and casual outfits. I'm not sure if popular boys' fashions influenced schools to adopt short pants uniforms or if schools adopting them influenced mothers buy short pants for both dress and casual wear. The fashion trend does not seem to have been set by any central authority. The pervasiveness of the style suggests it was, but I think the short shorts were simply popular with many parents and subsequently adopted by individual school authorities.

Late 20th Century (1990- )

Japanese styles appear to be changing in the 1990s. Short shorts are still commonly seen for elementary-age children (boys through about 12 years of age) as school wear and for dress occasions. Even today, despite the invasions of American styles, for a boy to attend a formal event (wedding, school graduation, etc.) in long pants would seem a little odd. Japanese boys might now wear jeans a lot of the time, but he would be in short pants for a formal occasion. Dress up shorts today, however, are typically cuffed and cut just above the knee--until the mid-1990s, they were very short. School uniform shorts are, for the most part, still very, very short, but the style has shifted for individual dress-up clothes. Casual clothes appear, however, to be adopting the long baggy American look. Shorts do not now appear to be exclusively reserved to only elementary boys. Older boys now are beginning to wear shorts as casual clothing. Teenagers are now occasionally seen in the long baggy hip-hop look complete with baseball caps of American teenagers. One disapproving Japanese observer reports in 1999, "The vast majority of boys are wearing the horrid baggy shorts; it seems almost worse this year--below the knee cargo shorts seem the fashion choice this summer. It mystifies me why anyone would voluntarily wear those hot, ugly, uncomfortable looking things but that's what boys from 6 to 22 are wearing here this summer." Another observer reports that dress shorts began to change about 1995 and now are virtually the only short pants available with short pants suits.

The 21st Century

Japanese children in the 21st century seem to be wearing essentially the same common clothing styles that have been common both in Western Europe and in the United States. Traditional clothes have not disappeared in Japan and are often worn by children for special occassions.

Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Japanese pages:
[Return to the Main Japanese page]
[Choirs] [Department store catalogs] [Monarchy] [Music recitals] [Scouts] [School uniforms]

Created: 6:07 PM 10/11/2006
Last updated: 6:07 PM 10/11/2006