Uniforms are not worn at all public elementary schools. Roughly only about a third requite them. Japanese elementary school children wear a wide variety of simple uniforms, usually consisting of caps of various designs, white shirts, short pants, and white knee socks. There is, however, considerable differences among schools. Many schools do have blazers, most commonly blue ones. They are usually worn seasonally. A few elementary schools have the Prussioan type military uniform normally associated with junior and senior high schools.
Japamese primary schools have 6 year programs. The children begin 1st Grade at bage 6byears and finish 6th grade at age 11-12 years of age.
There are a number of interesting ceremonies at Japanese schools. Our information is incomplete at this time, but we have begun to collect some basic information. A ceremony of considerable importance is when children begin primary schools. This is certainly a major even in the life of every Japanese child. Some of these ceremonies involving the children dressing up rather than wearing regular every=day school clothes. Many parents buy a suit for the occassion which afterwards is often rarely worn. There is also a ceremony when a child graduates from primary school. Boys at uniform schools wear their best uniforms, in some cases blazers. Interestingly the dress up uniforms commonly include sneakers. We are not sure how boys at non-uniform schoold dress for this occassion. The children receive a graduation certificate. The boys may receive flower. Hopefully our Japanese readers will know more about important primary school ceremonies. These are the ones we know about so far.
Uniforms are not worn at all public elementary schools. School uniforms are popular in Japan, but uniforms are not the major approach to schoolwear. Roughly only about a third of Japanese primary schools require them. Even at non-uniform schools, however, there are often school rules about what can be worn at school.
Japanese schools have a wide range of unifotrms. There are no national regulsations, but some styles are more common than others. Many but not all schools require caps. Blazers are also common, but not required at all schools. Some schools have them, but require them only on special days. Few schools have required coats for winter or inclemiate weather, instead the boys wear wht ever coat or winfbreaker they mat hve. Other schools do not require the boys to wear blazers after the weather turns warm. Often shirts, sweaters, and pants are required. Most uniform schools reqire short pants. The boys at these schools wear short pants all seasons. Thus Japsanese boys maywrear short pants during the cold winter months, often with a heavy coat. The book satchell/knapsack is very popular bag for Japanese primary school boys. The book satchell is called "Randsell" in Japan. Almost Japanese primary school boys use the book satchell ("Randsell") for 6 years from their entrance ceremony to graduation ceremony. Some schools have regulations about these book satchels.
Japanese school uniforms involve a number of garments. Even schools that do not have uniforms often require the children to wear caps. Quite a number have children wear yellow or other brightly colored saftey caps. Schools with uniforms often have requirements for sweaters, shirts, and pants. There is, however, considerable differences among schools. Many schools do have blazers, most commonly blue ones. Some also reqquire blazers. Strict riles about hosiery and shoes are less common.
Caps appear to be a required part of many school uniforms, unlike Britain where the traditional school Cap has virtually disappeared. Cap wearing by elementary school students in Japan is almost universal. Even schools with no uniform will have a required hat (often bright yellow to increase visibility). While at school they do not wear their caps, but they always do so while coming and going to school.
Japanese elementary children wear many styles of caps. Younger children may wear wide-brimmed hats with elastic chin straps, sometimes with streamers at the back. Older boys might wear baseball-style caps. There are many other styles worn by the children. Commonly both boys and girls wear the same style cap.
The many styles of caps are often in bright colors. Not only do young children like bright colors, but it is also a saftey measure so that the children can easily be spotted by motorists on higly urbanized Japan's busy streets.
The shirts worn by boys vary from school to school as well as seasonally. The most common shirts worn by Japanese boys at schools requiring uniforms are plain white shirts. White shirts are not common at schools not requiring uniforms, but they are very common at the uniformed schools. Both polo shirts are worn as well as short and long sleeved dress shirts. They are not normally worn with ties, but some schools require the boys to button their shirts.
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Almost all private elementary schools (about 1/3 the schools) in Japan require the children to wear uniforms. Most of those schools make short pants part of the uniform--often quite short shorts. The boys are required to wear them both in the warm months as well as through the winter. the Japanese believe this helps toughen boys. While Japenese boys in the 1990s are beginning to wear the longer shorts worn by American boys, most of the schools continue to require the shorter, nicely tailored shorts. This is a decission taken by the schools as most Japanese parents have bought the longer baggy style for boys to wear at home. Public elementary schools have more varied requirements. Many do not require uniforms and boys at those schools wear both long and short pants. The schools that do insist on uniforms, genrally require short pants, usually short short pants. Blue shorts are the most common. Younger boys might wear suspender shorts. Girls commonly wear suspender skirts, usually in the same color as the boys' shorts.
Schools with uniforms usually require white socks for both boys and girls. Both white kneesocks and ankle socks are worn, but the school decides sets the standard and all children wear one or the other. Younger children, both boys and girls, may weartights instead of knee socks during the colder winter months.
Japanese elementary children often wear sneakers, usually white sneakers, rather than leather shoes, even with a formal school uniform.
Blazers and ties are not commonly worn by Japnese elementary school children, especially for everyday wear. A few schools, mostly private schools do have blazers. The schools with blazers mostly choose conservative blue blazers. The varuety of colored and striped blazers worn by British boys is unknown in Japan. Many Japanese boys wear white shirts to school. Few elementary schools, however, require the boys to wear ties.
The Prussian style military uniform is primarily assocaited with junior and senior high schools. There are a few elementary school, however, that also require this uniform--usually with a military-style cap and short pants. The girls atvthese schools normally wear the sailor suit uniform that girls at junior and senior high schools normally wear.
Japanese schoolboys do not just wear shortpants in the warmer spring and summer months. One January 1999 report from Japan indicated that a good half ofthe non-uniformed primary schoolboys are in shorts, although the shorts are typically knee length or a bit shorter--not the short, snugshorts of a few years ago, although once in a while, you do see them. I'm not sure what the boys themselves think of the old style. Presumably some mothers prefer the shorter style and insist their sons wear them.Virtually all uniformed schools continue to requre the short, tight shorts. Some uniform schools seem to permitboys to wear coats over their uniforms when outdoors; others do not.
Japanese primary school children for several decades beginning in the 1950s mostly wore the same style of school uniforms. They were based on populsar European style clothing at the time. Interesting although occupied by America, the Japanese schools turned to European styled clothing. Japanese schools in the late 1990s began expperimenting with different styles for school uniforms. Most of these styles have not proven very popular. We do not see many school children wearing them. But here our information is limited. They could be more popular than we think. We do, however, see them advertised in various clothing catlogs. See for example an unknown web-based catalog in 2005.
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