We constantly see Japanese school uniforms portrayed throughout thousands of anime titles in our daily lives. The scandalous uniform that we see in some school anime is really not that far from the truth of how Japanese school uniforms have evolved. However, there are anime such as Kono oto Tomare that allow for a more realistic view into the truth of the modern Japanese uniform. Based in the life of Gen Kudou, he wants to understand more about traditional music and seeks to join the Tokise High School Koto Club. With the reputation of a delinquent, he must prove his worth in order to join the ranks. While this anime does not focus solely on Japanese uniforms, it gives us a truthful look into the modern uniform.
Japanese Uniforms throughout Japan
Japanese uniforms have evolved quite a bit in the last century. As early as the 1920s we see what is generally known as the “delinquent uniform” in anime where the girls dressed it shorter shirts and the long skirts were worn higher up on their torso. Girls at the time who liked to disobey the rules would do so by having more pleats in their skirts for a daring fashion in schools during this time period. These changes in uniforms were considered reckless and widely regarded as a form of rebellion. Japanese students changed the evolution of the school uniform by blatantly disregarding the rules and wanting more freedom to express their individuality. While school uniforms continued to evolve in Japan, they did not strike global popularity until the 1990s. Japanese school uniforms began to be featured in movies and television shows enhancing the world view into Japanese culture. They began to make their way into fashion brands such as Burberry and Ralph Lauren, leading to the more promiscuous uniform that now automatically comes to our minds. As the world view of Japanese uniforms changed, so did the ones in Japanese schools. They adopted the long white socks and short skirts, middle school uniforms possess the sailor style collar and blazer while high school students have a little more freedom to choose what they want to wear and make their uniform more personal. Boys initially wore a Meiji style military uniform that has evolved very little. As time passed, boys were able to wear shorts. All things considered, Japanese uniforms are heavily influenced by pop culture and are very similar to what we see in anime.
Japanese Uniforms in Kono oto Tomare
Japanese uniforms in anime really aren’t that far from the real Japanese uniform. The skirts in Japan may be a little longer, the only major change is that girls are usually allowed to substitute a pair of pants for skirts now and have a similar uniform to the boys. Despite this small change, the high school Japanese uniforms in Kono oto Tomare are very similar to those that we would see walking into any Japanese high school. The V-neck shirts on the girls are similar to those in Japan and each student can lend their own individuality to their outfit.
Final Thoughts
There are many aspects of Japanese culture that are not always accurately represented in anime. However, Japanese uniforms are unique because they take aspects from the ever-changing pop culture around the world and adapt it in their own fashion to make it constantly evolve to fit their own individuality. Japanese uniforms are a unique staple of Japanese culture that has come to be known throughout the world as well as being well represented in anime such as Kono oto Tomare. We hope that you have enjoyed this article on Japanese uniforms. As always, please feel free to leave any questions or comments in the comments section below.
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