Japanese school uniform of Recent Article

Junior high school and high school in Japan with uniform

Uniform of junior high school and high school in Japan

Almost all Japanese junior high school and Japanese high school have a uniform.

In a public school of a lot of other countries, students can wear any clothes they like, but in Japan, almost all junior high and high schools adopt a school uniform system.

Teachers force students to wear school uniforms tidily because they want to teach students morals.

Schools are for study, and uniforms are also a part of educational system.
A Japanese society doesn't like special individuality.

The Japanese word for uniform is 制服[Seifuku].

Moreover, clothes sometimes reflect the gap in the students' families'income.

What's more, school uniforms help teachers make students learn to fit into society.

Japanese school tracksuit; jersey Well, in junior high school and high school, most students are obliged to wear the school uniforms.
And every morning teachers check whether their uniforms are tidy.

It sometimes limits their free movement though they don't need to choose clothes every morning.

They can't play basketball, soccer, etc. with that uniform.

The uniform to solve the problem is "ジャージ(jāji)".
"The ジャージ(jāji)"is a sportswear.

It is used by the physical education and extracurricular activities, etc.

"The ジャージ(jāji)[Tracksuit]" is an article of clothing consisting of two parts: trousers and a jacket usually with front zipper.

 

 

Junior high school boy and high school boy's uniforms

For boys, there are basically two types of uniforms, though there are many types of uniforms in Japan.

One is "Gakuran", the other is blazer.

Junior high school boy and high school boy at general public school wear a uniform, called "Gakuran" whose top has a stand-up collar.
For boys, Gakuran and Blazer are an ordinary uniforms.

Japanese schoolboy's blazer type uniform Japanese schoolboy's Gakuran type uniform
Blazer type uniform Gakuran type uniform


Gakuran; this type of school uniform is called 学ラン(Gakuran)

And, it is a uniform for the junior high school student and the high school student in Japan.
The top and pants of Gakuran are both black, and the jacket has usually golden buttons.

 

Junior high school girl and high school girl's uniforms

About girls, they wear a sailor outfits or blazer.
The most popular school uniform in Japan is the セーラー服(Sailor fuku)[sailor outfit].

Because the top part is shaped like the shirt the sailors wore in the old days, it is called like that.
The top has a ribbon on it of different colors and shapes.

In several East Asian countries, some schools continue to prescribe sailor-themed wear as school uniforms (Sailor fuku) for girls.

Japanese schoolgirl's blazer type uniform Japanese schoolgirl's sailor outfit type uniform
Blazer type uniform sailor outfit type uniform

On the other hand, girl's the sailor outfit uniforms include a dark blue or a black pleated skirt.
And, girl's blazer uniforms include a dark blue or a black pleated skirt and white blouse.
Their uniforms is often used for girls in middle school and high school Uniform changes by season, and occasion.
The blazer style uniform and the sailor outfit uniform; the socks that they wear with the uniforms are usually white.

Boy's Gakuran type of winter uniform
Gakuran: winter uniform
 
Boy's Gakuran type of summer uniform
Gakuran: summer uniform

 

Summer uniform and winter uniform of Japanese school

Boy's summer uniform is usually only white shirt and pants.

Girl's summer uniform of blazer style usually consists of a short sleeved shirt ("cutter shirt") and a pleated skirt and short sleeved blouse.
Summer uniform and winter uniform of Japanese school

Moreover, Moreover, summer uniform of the sailor outfit style usually consists of a short sleeved sailor outfit and a pleated skirt.
The short sleeved sailor outfit's base color is white.

Girl's summer and winter uniform of sailor outfit
Girl's summer and winter uniform of sailor outfit

 

Winter uniforms is more diverse.

At some schools, boys wear stiff-collared jackets, while at other schools they wear blazers and neckties, and at other schools they wear sweaters or sweater vests.

Likewise, some girls wear sweaters, some wear blazers, some wear long-sleeved sailor blouses.

Uniforms vary from school to school, and it is possible to know which school a student attends simply by looking at the style and colors of their uniform.

 

 

Indoor shoes of junior high school student and high school student in Japan

Uwabaki in Japanese school  

In foreign country, students do not have to change their shoes after they arrive at school, but in Japan they wear another shoes for room, called "うわばき/上履き(uwabaki)

In foreign country, students do not have to change their shoes after they arrive at school, but in Japan they wear another shoes for room, called "uwabaki".

They has just arrived at school and is putting on their indoor shoes.
It is called "Uwabaki".

They then puts their Uwabaki shoes in their locker or Getabako.

Shoe lockers at Japanese school

All the students have their designated shoe lockers.

These shoe lockers are called "ゲタ箱/下駄箱(getabako)".

This is a common practice in the school as well and of course helps to keep the school clean.
We see children at some uniform schools with different uwabaki.

Uwabaki in Japanese school Uwabaki in Japanese school
   
Uwabaki in Japanese school Uwabaki in Japanese school


Most students put on Uwabaki of the design that their schools made though the rule to Uwabaki is different at each school.

 

Uniforms change of the woman student in Japan

Uniforms change of the woman student in JapanThe school uniform for girls used to be regarded as a symbol of an education with strict regulations.
But today, wearing a uniform might be privilege only for high school girls.

For teenage girls in Japan these days, a school uniform is not something evoking a spirit of discipline but something that symbolizes their sensitivity to trends in fashion.

Into the 1980 years arose the mode feature to carry the skirts so long that they reached up to the soil.

The mode feature to carry the skirts so long that they reached up to the soil in Japan

But, in the 1980s, when Japan were enjoying the bubble economy and fascinated by designer-brand clothes, some schools began to remodel their uniforms to more fashion-conscious designs.

Since then, many private high schools and some public high schools changed their uniforms into the modern style.
But, many public junior high schools' uniforms have been left the traditional style.

Then by the 1990s, some schoolgirls had become so fashion-conscious that they tried to make their uniforms look cool by tucking the skirt up to a very short length, and matching it with long and loose socks.

 

*The long and loose socks; ルーズソックス[rūzu sokkusu]

Loose socks in JapanThe loose-socks trend is over now, but high school girls have continued to favor short skirts.

Japanese fashionable high school girlThe short skirt is carried today gladly as mini skirt, with which the loose socks becomes effective particularly well.

They also like to "dress up" by choosing bags or vests that make a good combination with their uniforms.

School uniforms with short skirts are considered fashionable among high school girls.

 

 

Hararie

 

 

Japanese elementary students' school uniforms

Japanese elementary school's students

"Yellow cap and yellow umbrella" obligated for young children.

In general, students of kindergarten and elementary school do not wear the uniforms.

Most Japanese elementary schools require caps or hats, even those schools that otherwise have no uniform requirement.

They must wear a yellow cap or hat, and if it rains, they must hold a yellow umbrella when they are going to school.

And, they are quite colorful to help motorists spot the younger children.

In Japan, this cap is called "通学帽[tsuugaku-bou]".

The reason that they use the yellow cap and umbrella is for road safety.

Though on the other hand, there is no particular name in that yellow umbrella, it is called "Yellow umbrella" generally.

Umbrella of grade-schooler in Japan

For a yellow cap, the most common style is a rounded, short brimmed hat.

Sometimes with short streamers, although other styles from peaked caps to Zouave caps to full-brimmed hats are also seen.

Boy grade-schooler's traffic safety cap Girl grade-schooler's traffic safety cap
Boy's cap Girl's hat
Traffic safety umbrella for grade-schooler in childhood of Japan
Traffic safety umbrella for grade-schooler in childhood of Japan

They are peaked caps for the girl.
Wearing a yellow hat and a yellow umbrella is obligations at early elementary school years.
But, it is about two years.

Because young children lack carefulness, wearing a yellow cap and yellow umbrella has been obligated for about two years.

The grade-schooler in recent Japan doesn't wear the hat so much though the baseball cap was the most popular among my grade-schooler age.

 

 

Backpack for the Japanese elementary students that is called "RANDOSERU"

What is put in the satchel?

The ランドセル[RANDOSERU] is a firm-sided backpack made of stitched firm leather or leather-like synthetic material, most commonly used in Japan by elementary schoolchildren.

Japanese RANDOSERU

It measures roughly 30 cm high by 23 cm wide by 18 cm deep, and features a softer grade of leather or material on those surfaces which touch the body.

When empty, the average randoseru weighs approximately 1.2 kilograms (about 2 1/2 pounds avoirdupois).

The term RANDOSERU is a borrowed word from the Dutch "ransel" meaning "backpack", a clue to its origins nearly 200 years ago as used in the Netherlands.

 

Japanese RANDOSERU Japanese RANDOSERU
Japanese RANDOSERU

 

Traditionally, the RANDOSERU is red in colour for girls, black for boys.

Colors of Japanese RANDOSERU While in more conservative schools the colour (and often the brand and design) is mandated and enforced, the backpack is available in a variety of colours, partly as a compromise for parents to retain some tradition within modernized schools which no longer require the use of traditional uniforms or of the RANDOSERU.

Traditionally given to a child upon beginning their first year at school, the RANDOSERU's materials and workmanship are designed to allow the backpack to endure the child's entire elementary education (six years).

 

 

What is put in the satchel?

Japanese RANDOSERU

Well, what on earth do you think is in RANDOSERU that the grade-schooler in Japan uses every day?

The Japanese grade-schooler has these in the satchel.

Japanses children's pocket tissue

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Handkerchief (ハンカチ[hankachi])

2. Pocket tissue (ポケットティッシュ/ポケティ[poketto thisshu/pokethi

3. Textbooks (教科書[kyoukasho])
   *When they go to school, they has about ten textbooks.

4. Notebook (ノート[nooto])

Notebook of Japanese grade-schooler Shitajiki of Japanese grade-schooler
Notebook of Japanese grade-schooler Shitajiki of Japanese grade-schooler

 

5. SHITAJIKI (下敷き[shitajiki]

SHITAJIKI is a Japanese word for various types of materials placed under a sheet of paper for writing, either to prevent marking on the sheets below or to provide a better surface for writing.

SHITAJIKI for handwriting are generally made of plastic about 1 mm to 2 mm in thickness, making them flexible but still durable.

Merchandised SHITAJIKI are very common, featuring images of everything from tourist attractions to celebrities to anime and manga characters.

6. Pen case (ペンケース/筆箱[pen keesu/ hudebako

Pen case of Japanese grade-schooler Pen case of Japanese grade-schooler
Pen case of Japanese grade-schooler
Pen case of Japanese grade-schooler

 

6. 6. SANSUU-set (算数セット[sansuu setto])

SANSUU-set, it's teaching material to learn concepts of number for younger children

 

<Teaching material that they sometimes use at school>

Recorder (リコーダー[rikoodaa])
The English flute or recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes ― whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle and ocarina.

Today, it is often thought of as a child's instrument, but there are many professional players who demonstrate the instrument's full solo range.
The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple.

It is distinguished from other members of the family by having holes for seven fingers (the lower one or two often doubled to facilitate the production of semitones) and one for the thumb of the uppermost hand.

Recorder that is necessaries of grade-schooler in Japan
Scene where grade-schooler in Japan is practicing recorder

 

Melodica (ピアニカ[pianika]) 

The melodica, also known as the "blow-organ", is a free-reed instrument similar to the melodeon and harmonica.

Melodica of Japan that is called PIANIKA

It has a musical keyboard on top, and is played by blowing air through a mouthpiece that fits into a hole in the side of the instrument.

Melodicas are small and light enough to be carried around.

Grade-schooler in Japan that practices melodica of Japan that is called PIANIKA

They have been very popular in music education, especially in Asia.
Melodica is called "ピアニカ[pianika]" in Japan.

 

Japanese calligraphy set (習字セット[shuuji setto])

It is used for the training of writing a letter with a writing brush.

Japanese calligraphy set  

As for SHUUJI set, a big brush, a small brush, the paperweight, the Hanshi (paper for Japanese calligraphy), the a celluloid board laid under written paper for the brush, the ink stone, and the Indian ink, etc. are stored in one bag.

Melodica is called "習字セット/書道セット[syuuji setto/syodou setto]" in Japan.

 

The watercolor pigment set (絵の具セット[enogu setto]

It is a tool for the watercolor.

The watercolor set for Japanese grade-schooler 

The ENOGU-set; an opaque watercolor pigment for about 12 color school child, a paintbrush with different 2-3 thickness, palettes, and small buckets to wash the brush are stored in one bag.

Melodica is called "絵の具セット[enogu setto]" in Japan.

 

KOUKAKU-BOU (紅白帽[kouhaku bou)

KOUHAKU-BOU is a hat (physical exercise hat) worn with the gym wear of the child of the elementary school of Japan.
It is also called 赤白帽[akashiro bou].

Japanese kouhaku bou 

 

Training wear (体操着[taisou gi)

TAISOU-GI is a sportswear.
There are some kinds.
It is short sleeve T-shirt, long sleeve T-shirt, the half pants, long trousers, and a long sleeve jersey.
The design of TAISOU-GI is often school specification, and it is used in PE lesson, the athletic meet, the ball game rally, and the marathon rally, etc.

Melodica is called "体操着[taisou-gi]" in Japan.

Japanese PE jersey Japanese PE jersey
Japanese PE jersey

 

 

Hararie