Figure 1.--This Japanese boy wears an army-style school uniform. The portrait was taken just before or during World War II. This style of uniform was quickly phased out after World War II as part of the de-militarization process. |
|
One of the major reforms instituted after the Meiji Restoration was to found a modern school system. Japan founded a modern school system based on European models. The educational system was for both boys and girls, although there were separate schools, especially at the secondary level. Initially there was no required uniform. Japan was, however, a very class-based society. The children thus came to school dressed as they normally did in clothing reflecting their family background and social standing. Boys from a samurai family would dress to show off their family stature, even wearing swords to school. Boys from a merchant family might wear trading gear. School authorities found this to be disruptive and gradually came to see that uniforms would avoid these disruptions and place the children on an equal footing. Thus during the later phase of the Meiji period and throughout the Taisho period, schools began introducing military-style uniforms. It was the boys for who uniforms were first intoduced. You also see the same pattern in overall dress, boys and men were the first to adopt Western clothing. Interesting rather than introducing a Japanese military uniform, school authorities turned to European military styles. Presumably western style school uniforms were introduced because they were more practical than traditional Japanese garments. This is of course the same reason that the Japanese military also chose Western-style military uniforms. This reflected the influences of the new western-style military force that Japan began to build. We note two basic styles. One was a Prussian styled cadet uniform. The other was the uniform actually adopted by the Japanese Army. There seems to have been a seasonal factor involved. I am not sure what role the Ministry of Education had in this, but the schools basically chose the same styles. There were, however, differences from school to school. The process of instituting school uniforms varied from school to school. Schools varied as to when they adopted the military style uniforms. We see boys wearing traditional garments with cadet caps into the 1930s. After World War II, many primary schools dropped the uniformn requirement. The schools that retained uniforms, mostly adopted non-military Western styles. Secondary schools on the other hand almost all retained uniforms, although only the Prussian cadet style. This included both intermediate schools and high schools. The Japanerse Army uniforms disappeared. We begin to see some schools shifting tho British style blazers by the 1980s, especially coed schools. The cadet uniforms, however, are still widely worn. While the basic style is fairly standards, there were differences in detail among the cadet uniforms worn at different schools. The Prussian cadet uniforms were done with some differences as to detail, concerning the collar, buttons, and other features. Most jackets had shiny brass buttons, but some jackets were done with black buttons. The basic style was very similar. There were also cadet style caps. The caps were mostly black, but we have noted some white ones.
One of the major reforms instituted after the Meiji Restoration was to found a modern school system. Japan founded a modern school system based on European models. The educational system was for both boys and girls, although there were separate schools, especially at the secondary level. Initially there was no required uniform. Japan was, however, a very class-based society. The children thus came to school dressed as they normally did in clothing reflecting their family background and social standing. Boys from a samurai family would dress to show off their family stature, even wearing swords to school. Boys from a merchant family might wear trading gear. School authorities found this to be disruptive and gradually came to see that uniforms would avoid these disruptions and place the children on an equal footing. Thus during the later phase of the Meiji period and throughout the Taisho period, schools began introducing military-style uniforms.
Often this just meant wearing Prussian cadet caps. It was the boys for who uniforms were first intoduced. You also see the same pattern in overall dress, boys and men were the first to adopt Western clothing. Interesting rather than introducing a Japanese military uniform, school authorities turned to European military styles. Presumably western style school uniforms were introduced because they were more practical than traditional Japanese garments. This is of course the same reason that the Japanese military also chose Western-style military uniforms. This reflected the influences of the new western-style military force that Japan began to build.
We note two basic military styles. One was a Prussian styled cadet uniform which the Japanese called gakuran. This was the first style to be adopted. It first appeared in the late -19th century as part of the Meiji educational reforms. It was not very common, although we see many boys wearing the caset caps in the late-19th century. We only see large numbers of boys wearing these gaukuran/cadet styles after the-turn-of-the 20th century, especailly after Wotkd War I in the 1920s. The other military sdtyle was the uniform adopted by the Japanese Army which we see here (figure 1). This was the uniform in orimary schools. Secondary schools continued with the cadet/gakuran unifirm. This appeared as the Japanese militart began to incrrasingly conrol the Japanese Government, inclkudinhg the education system, What we see in the phoographic tecord was a more basic versioin of the Army Uniform. There seems to have been a seasonal factor involved. I am not sure what role the Ministry of Education had in this, but the schools basically chose the same styles. We see the Japanese Army style uniforms being increasingly worn in the 1930s and they were vert common during World War II (1939-45). Japanese Army styles disaapeared abruptly after World War II as part of the demiltarization provess. , but many schools continued to wear the Prussian cadet.gakuran uniforms, especially at the secondary schools. Most priamry dchools discontunued unifiorms. Sime adopted non-military inifiorms. A few of themadoipted the cadet/gakuran style, but this was primarily a style worn in the secondary schools.
There were, however, differences from school to school. The process of instituting school uniforms varied from school to school. Schools varied as to when they adopted the military style uniforms. We see boys wearing traditional garments with cadet caps into the 1930s. After World War II, many primary schools dropped the uniformn requirement. The schools that retained uniforms, mostly adopted non-military Western styles. Secondary schools on the other hand almost all retained uniforms, although only the Prussian cadet style. This included both intermediate schools and high schools. The Japanerse Army uniforms disappeared. We begin to see some schools shifting tho British style blazers by the 1980s, especially coed schools. The cadet uniforms, however, are still widely worn.
Uniform trends including the wearing og the mikitary style uniforms varied depending on the school level. And this varied over time. At first we see children at primary and secondary schools dressing similarly. And we see see boys wearing traditional garments with Prussian cadet caps. Gradually in the early 20th century we see more and more schools, both primary and secondary, schools adopting military uniforms. The trend was most pronounced in urban scgools. By the time of World War II, almost urban schools had made this transition. The children at many rural primary schools, however, commonly wore traditional clothing, albeit the boys commonly wore the Prussian cadet caps. Mahor changes occurred in Japanese schools after World War II. Many primary schools dropped the uniform requirement. A number of schools adopted a basic uniform without the military look. The Japanese Army styles were dropped, but a few primary schools continued the Prussian cadet uniforms for the boys and sailor suit uniforms for the girls. They were a small minority, butwe do see quite a few primary schools with these uniforms. The situation was very different at secondary schools. Here the Japanese Army uniforms were dropped, but thePrussuian cadet uniforms became standard. In recent years we see some secondary schools with British styles, but the great majority of secondary schools still have the Prussian cadet uniforms.
While the basic style is fairly standards, there were differences in detail among the cadet uniforms worn at different schools. The Prussian cadet uniforms were done with some differences as to detail, concerning the collar, buttons, and other features. Most jackets had shiny brass buttons, but some jackets were done with black buttons. The basic style was very similar.
There were also cadet style caps. The caps were mostly black, but we have noted some white ones.
Related Chronolgy Pages in the Boys' Historical Web Site
[Main Chronology Page]
[The 1900s]
[The 1910s]
[The 1920s]
[The 1930s]
[The 1940s]
[The 1950s]
[The 1960s]
[The 1970s]
[The 1980s]
[The 1990s]
Navigate the Relate Boys Historical Clothing Style Pages
[Main country page]
[Long pants suits]
[Short pants suits]
[Lederhosen]
[Kneesocks]
[Eton suits]
[Jacket and trousers]
[Blazer
[School sandals]
Navigate the HBC Country School Section:
[Return to the Main School Uniform Page]
[Australia]
[England]
[France]
[Germany]
[Ireland]
[Italy]
[Japan]
[New Zealand]
[Scotland]
[United States]
Navigate the Boys' Historical Clothing Web Page:
[Return to the Main Japanese school uniform military style page]
[Return to the Main Japanese school uniform style type page]
[Return to the Main Japanese school uniform style page]
[About Us]
[Activities]
[Chronology]
[Clothing styles]
[Countries]
[Debate]
[Economics]
[Garment]
[Gender]
[Hair]
[History]
[Home trends]
[Literary characters]
[School types]
[Significance]
[Transport and travel
[Uniform regulations]
[Year level]
[Other topics]
[Images]
[Links]
[Registration]
[Tools]
[Return to the Historic Boys' School Home]
