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Japan after World War II intoduced compulsory education in 1947. School is compulsory for a 9-year period, beginning at the age of six. Fashions changed after the war for primary school children. Many primary schools dropped uniform erquirements and those that did, with only a few exceptions, introduced civilian styles. Almost all primary schools adopting uniforms adopted short pants uniforms, usually with quite short shorts. Although Japan had been defeated and occupied by the Americans, Japanese mothers and school administrators appra to have turned to Europe, seemingly France or Italy for inspiratiion in boys' fashions. Junior high schools were created as part of the educational reforms. Many but not all adopted military styled uniforms. Some of the boys wore shorts. At some junior highs boys wore shorts, but this was not always a requirement. Shorts were worn at junior higghs through the 1970s, but most junior highs had switched to long pants by the 1970s. Most senior high schools continued the Prussian cadet uniform which survived as the primary style through the 1980s. A few senior highs by the 1980s began experimenting with civilian styles--usually English-style blazers and slacks.
We have only begun to build a chronology of post-war Japanese schools. Before the War most Jpanese school hildren wire uniforms. The primary exception was rural schools. Many children there wore traditional clothing to school. In the cities the primary children mpstly wore basic military-styled clothing. The boys wore army unifoirms with short pants. The girls wore sailor suits. At scondary schools the boys wore cadet uniforms ad the girls sailor suits. This did not immediately change after the War. We still see primary children continue to wear uniforms for a few years. Gradually the army uniforms were dropped at most schools. Many primary schools dropped uniforms, especially military uniforms. Traditional clothing also disappered at school. Many primary schools became coeducationasl. By the 1960s we begin to see children wearing smarter, European styled clothes. Some sdchools had uniforms, but uniforms based on European styles.
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Japan even bfore the World War II era had a standard primary scondary approach to education adopted after the Mejii Restoration when the Japanee adopted a Western education system. At first secondary educatuion was very limited and even at the time of World War II, relatively few Japanese children went on to secondary schools after completing primary school. The education of girls in particular ws neglected. Rural and working-class children did not normally attend secondary school, although there was a greater degree of social mobility through the military. This changed after the War. Primary education was affected by the American inspired reforms. It was alreadly well established before the War. After the war we see coeducation becoming standard at the primary level. And we we begin to see more lady teachers. Schoolwear also changed. The Japanese Army uniforms disappear. Vadet uniforms were common at both the primary and secondary level, but gradually we see more stylish Western clothes becoming standard. Many schools began adopting simple uniforms, but this was a minority of schools. The changes at secondary schools were much more dramatic, but not very visuble. As at the primary level, the Japanese Army uniforms rapidly dissappeared after the War. The Prussian cadet uniforms for boys and sailor suits for girls became standard. The principal change was that the secondary system was significantly expanded, becoming virtually universal. This included girls as well as boys. These uniforms continued to be widely worn with only a few schools adopting blazer uniforms.
Japan after the Pacific War (1941-45) experienced one of the most phenomenal ecionomic recoveries in the gistory of warfare. The country when it surrenderd to the Americans (August 1945) was nearing starvation. Japan was an island nation vulnerable to a commerce war. Few countries went to war so vunerable as Japan. After the War, many Japanese pondered why their military took them to war against countries like America, Britain, and the Soviet Union. The American naval blockade cut off needed food imports for the population and raw materials for industry. And the American strategic bombing campaign demolished the ciuntry's densely packed cities, largely built of wood and paper. The Jaoanese were facing mass starvation when finally forced to surrender. Japan's cities at the end if the war were vast wastelands of burnt cinders. Within only a decade, the country had begun a phononenal recovery ans by the next decade, Jpan had again become the most prpsperous, modern country in Asia. This all was reflected in the schools which were already the best in Asia. The schools also underwent a metamorhis. At the end if the War the boys were wearing the military uniforms introduced by the military. This gradually changed and we see the primary children either stop wearing uniforms or be gan wearing the casdetb uniforms that were worn before the military gained control of the Govermnent. A factor here was the econiomic recovery which permitted parents to spen more on their children, not only school clothes, but alsom school items like satchels. Mos primary schools let the children wear their own clothes, but in the 1960s we see quite a number of the primary schools adopting European-styled uniforms. Although fascinated by the American occupiers, the Japanese again turned to the Europeans for uniform styles. The seciondary system vwas significantky expanded. The secondaryb boys reverted to cadet uniforms. The girls continued wearing sailor outfits. We not only see these changes in school bwear, b ut the counstruction of mnany modern new school, all made possible by the ecomomic trvovery.
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