In 90% of school anime, no matter if it's ecchi or a shoujo, you always find girls wearing really short skirts above the knee. Have you ever wondered why? Do girls in Japanese schools really wear skirts this short?
Do Japanese uniforms change a lot from one region to another? What are the rules regarding school uniforms? In this article we will see curiosities related to Japanese uniforms and the skirts of Japanese schoolgirls.
Table of Contents
What is the Japanese School Uniform?
The Japanese uniform is called seifuku [制服], it is mandatory starting from junior high school (chuugakou - 中学校) and attracts a lot of attention in high school (koukou - 高校). Many of the Japanese uniforms are based on sailors' uniforms.
For boys, it's usually a simple social outfit with a suit or vest, for women it's something similar, but with the famous skirt that catches everyone's attention.
Uniforms have existed in Japan for over 100 years, starting with something formal like kimono, then evolving into military-style uniforms. By around 1920, a women's school in Fukuoka began using a different model based on the British navy.
The famous pleated skirts, triangular collar and bow at the neck became a trend and trademark of many uniforms in Japan. Japanese schools are full of rules regarding uniforms.
Schools define the size, color, and model of the uniform; going outside the standard goes against the rules of the schools. Some schools even prohibit the wearing of tops and accessories.
Are the skirts of Japanese uniforms short?
In most anime the girls have short skirts above the knee showing their thighs. The skirts are so short that it ends up being an easy occasion where you can see your panties.
This is not just in anime, during my stay in Japan I noticed that most high school girls were walking around with very short skirts on trains and on the street, you could even see...
Contrary to what people might imagine, most schools have a skirt below the knee. What happens is that the Japanese themselves roll up their skirts in order to shorten it, for the same reasons that Western girls wear short clothes, for comfort, fashion and presentation.
Some schools are strict on this matter, do not usually allow certain changes in uniform and even in appearance. That's why you find students with short skirts most of the time outside of schools.
Some schools end up having or allowing above-the-knee skirts. Of course, many girls wear tights and shorts under their skirts to avoid perverts. Unfortunately some girls don't care about perverts. It is common for a schoolgirl to sit in front of you on a train and spread her legs showing everything.
Differences in Japanese school clothes and skirts
Japanese skirts and uniforms were largely responsible for the street fashion that emerged in Japan in the 1980s. Because of this, many schoolgirls end up being misunderstood, especially by Westerners.
This is because some girls wear skirts so short that they awaken and fuel male imagination. Some girls do this in order to generate some income with services (not sexual) called Enjo Kosai.
Among the Japanese prefectures, the ones known for having the shortest uniforms are Niigata which can reach up to 18 centimeters. Sendai, Mito and Tokyo are also very short. Sapporo, Fukuoka and Okinawa skirt sizes are medium. And the longest are in Osaka and Kobe.
Skirts are so widespread in Japanese schools that even in winter, girls wear short skirts to school. Some are not foolish and wear thermal pants until they enter the school and then take them off.
Even though there are pantyhose, some prefer to wear a short summer sock to present their legs. Despite the desire of Japanese women to wear short skirts, several campaigns and rules against uniform modification take place in Japan.
So, the fact that anime have various girls in short skirts is based on the reality of Japan. Of course, anime exaggerate the uniforms and make them super short in order to attract the male audience.
The uniform is just another click like the gigantic breasts of Japanese women in anime. What do you think about Japanese uniforms? Do you believe the skirts are too short? Do you think there's any problem? We would love to hear your opinion in the comments and your sharing.
