Japanese School Uniform: Seasons


Figure 1.--Boys often wear short pants and short sleeved shirts with ankle socks during the warmer summer months. This would be a common uniform at a public school.

Only a fraction of Japanese elementary schools require uniforms. There are generally no seasonal clothing rules at the schools without uniforms. Many of the Japanese schools which require uniforms have seasonal requirements. I do not yet have details on seasonal changes. The most common is to wear jackets during the colder months. Generally the boys wear short pants whether it is winter or summer. The boys might commonly wear kneesocks rather than ankle socks in the winter. Younger boys might wear tights at dsome schools.

Summer Uniforms

Generally the boys wear short pants whether it is winter or summer. White shirts are very common at Japanese schools. During the summer boys may wear short sleeved shirts. Ankle socks are also common in the summer. Boys at the many schools that do not require also commonly wear short pants. Boys at the non-uniform schools until the mid-1990s might have worn trim shorts like the boy here (figure 1), but now boys more commonly wear long baggy shorts.

Several private schools that have the boys wear blazers or suits during the winter allow the boys to wear just short-sleeved shirts, usulally without toes during the summer. Also ankle socks are often substituted for kneesocks during the summer.

Winter Uniforms

The most common change in the winter is to wear jackets during the colder months. Boys also change tp long sleeved shirts. The boys might also wear kneesocks rather than ankle socks in the winter. Younger boys might wear tights at some schools.

One example of a winter school uniform is the uniform worn at Keio. The boys wear navy blue short pants suit with open, white necked collar --vaguely Eton-esque. The school does have uniformed socks--navy ankle socks with a red stripe -- but few boys seem to wear them. Many prefer knee socks in the winter. A few boys wear overcoats, but the vast majority just wore their uniform jackets--presumably with sweaters underneath. Even on brisk, clear, cold days, few boys wear overcoats. Some boys do wear gloves, often the color has to be coordinated with the school uniform.


Figure 2.--This is the winter uniform at a Tokyo private school. They are very strict about the uniform, except for the socks. Notice the one boy wearing gloves--a clue that the photograph was taken during the winter.





Christopher Wagner

histclo@lycosmail.com


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Created: March 2, 2000
Last updated: March 2, 2000