Ah yes, the Japanese school uniform, a ubiquitous image within Japanese (and westerners-looking-at Japanese) culture. Many a researcher, scholar, sociologist, fashionista, and..well..pornographer have delved into the complex social undertones and nuances of the seifuku in Japan. The most prominent topic of exploration is that of the sexual connotations the uniforms, particularly school girl uniforms, carry with them. As ambiguously exciting as that is, there is much more meaning to these institutionalized methods of dress.

The school uniforms of Japan have a varied and rich cultural past, and through a sociological perspective, there are a few interesting factoids to be gained by a little bit of scholarly attention paid to this overexposed cultural fashion icon. Here are a few i’ve dug up:

Japanese School uniforms are derivative of 19th century naval uniforms worn by Western powers (i.e. girls’ “sailor suits”=British Navy , boys’ gakuran=Prussian Army).

Students often ‘mod’ their school uniforms to express themselves including skirt shortening, unbuttoning the top button for boys’ gakuran, sock bunching, and a whole slew of accessorizing (including charms, pendents, shoe laces, and etc.)

Big fashion companies are attempting to tap the market, targeting both parents and their children; catering to the “noble” sensibility that parents look for in dressing their children, and the name brand recognition students look for to boost their popularity ratings.

School uniforms often symbolize a carefree and youthful lifestyle; a way of life long abandoned by the older generation of businessmen and workers.

As a custom, young girls, before graduation, ask for their secret crush’s second gakuran button, called the dai-ni, to symbolize their profession of love. If the guy gives it up, the gesture is returned. Why the dai-ni? Well, it’s the button closest to his heart, of course!

Be sure to check out Michael Mahooney’s article, which takes a social look at the school uniform, for some more education. Also, I can recommend Johnathan Ross’s “Japanorama” episode “Zoku” to get a better idea of how important uniforms are in Japanese society.

By Joshua C. Harris