Figure 1.--The fundoshi, the traditional Japanese loincloth, is still today worn in some festivals, but less commonly as underwear and swimming suit. Once fundoshi was the common Japanese underwear and, for fishermen and their children, often it was the only garment. The photograph was probably taken in 1950s as Western underwear and swimsuits were replcing the fundoshi. The change was slower in rural areas and on this case fishing villages.

We do not know much about Japanese underwear. We are not sure whst kind of undershirt if any was traditionlly worn in Japan. Undershirts in the 20th century were commonly the singlet-style undershirt. We are not sure about the Japanese term. After World War II, especially by the 1960s we see T-shirts being worn. Traditional male underwear pants are called fundoshi. Until World War II, the fundoshi was the standard form of male underpants. There are several types of fundoshi, including: rokushaku, kuroneko, mokko and etchū. After World War II the Fundoshi rapidky went out of style as Western-style s briefs and trunks began to be worn. The shift was slower in more traditioinal rural areas. We are not sure wehat was most popular for boys, but we think briefs. The traditional fundoshi has not entirely disappeared. It is still worn today as festival (matsuri) clothing or occassionally as swimwear.

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Created: 6:22 PM 8/4/2006
Last updated: 7:59 PM 3/25/2009