Japanese high school students in uniform, many of them wearing sailor girl outfits

Japanese highschool students wearing the sailor fuku

The sailor outfit or sailor fuku is a common Japanese school uniform (セーラー服 sērā-fuku) worn by middle school and high school students. It was introduced as a school uniform in 1921 by the principal of Fukuoka Jo Gakuin University (福岡女学院), Elizabeth Lee. It was modelled after the uniform used by the British Royal Navy at the time, which she herself had experienced as an exchange student in the United Kingdom. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1088x1604, 744 KB) Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Sailor fuku Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1088x1604, 744 KB) Copyright © 2005 David Monniaux File links The following pages link to this file: Sailor fuku Metadata This file contains additional information, probably added from the digital camera or scanner used to create or digitize it. ... Japanese high school students in uniform Japan introduced Western style school uniforms in the late 19th century as a part of its modernization program. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ...

Characteristics

Much like the male uniform, the gakuran, Sailor-fuku bears a similarity to various military styled naval uniforms. The uniform generally consists of a blouse attached with a sailor-style collar (襟 eri) and a pleated skirt. There are seasonal variations for summer and winter for which sleeve length and fabric are adjusted accordingly. A ribbon is tied in the front and laced through a loop attached to the blouse. Several variations on the ribbon include neckties, bolo ties, and bows. Common colors are navy blue, white, grey, and black. Japanese high school students in uniform. ... Navy is also:- shorthand for Navy Blue the nickname of the United States Naval Academy A navy is the branch of the armed forces of a nation that operates primarily on water. ... A blouse A blouse most commonly refers to a womans shirt, although the term is also used for some mens military uniform shirts. ... A necktie (usually just called a tie) is a long piece of material worn around the neck and under a collar with a knot tied in front. ... A bola tie or bolo tie is a type of necktie consisting of a piece of cord fastened with an ornamental bar or clasp. ...

Shoes, socks, and other accessories are sometimes included as part of the uniform. Accompanying socks are typically navy or white and accompanying shoes are typically brown or black penny loafers. Although they are not part of the prescribed uniform, loose socks are also commonly matched by more fashionable girls with their sailor fuku. Penny loafers are low, leather step-in shoes whose tops resemble a moccasin, but have broad flat heels. ... Loose socks in Japan Loose socks (Japanese: ルーズソックス, rūzu sokkusu) are a type of sock that is popular among young Japanese girls. ...

Cultural significance

Sailor fuku has a nostalgic charactistic for former students and is often associated with relatively carefree youth. Imitation Sailor Fuku is a popular costume for Halloween and other party events and is sold at department stores and costume shops throughout Japan.

Because school uniforms are a popular fetish item, second-hand Sailor fuku are brokered through underground establishments known as burusera although changes to Japanese law have since made such practices difficult. Burusera shops in Japan sell used girl panties. ...

The uniform in general is seen by some youth as a symbol of conformity and as such has been modified by rebellious students as a means of exhibiting individualism. Such variations include lengthening or shortening the skirt, rolling up the sleeves, removing the ribbon, hiding patches or badges under the collar, etc. In past decades, brightly colored variants of Sailor Fuku were also adopted in the by Japanese yankee and Bousouzoku biker gangs. Bōsōzoku (暴走族) (literally speeding tribe, known also as kamikaze bikers) is a Japanese subculture very similar to car clubs: gangs of young men who share a common interest in designing (often illegal) modifications for cars and motorcycles. ...

Sailor Fuku, along with other styles of school uniform, plays an undeniably large role in otaku culture and the Japanese sexual canon as evidenced by the large amount of anime, manga, and doujinshi featuring characters in uniform. Some examples: Overweight, unshaven, wearing glasses and a ponytail, and fantasizing with an anime girl doll - a popular stereotype of an otaku. ... // Atom, star of the long-running science fiction series Mighty Atom (also known as Astro Boy to Western audiences). ... For other uses, see Manga (disambiguation). ... Dōjinshi (; also romanized as doujinshi) are self-published Japanese works, including but not limited to comic books (manga), novels, fan guides, art collections, and games. ...

• The popular anime Sailor Moon, in which the characters all wear elaborate Sailor Fuku uniforms when they transform into super heroines.
• "Sailor Fuku o Nugasanaide" was a popular song by the Onyanko Club in the 1980's.
• The popular television and movie series Sukeban Deka features delinquent teenage girls
• InuYasha female protagonist, Kagome Higurashi, almost always is seen in Sailor Fuku

Sailor Moon ) is the title of the famous series originally authored as a manga by Naoko Takeuchi that resulted in multiple other types of media, including anime, musical theatre, video games and live action tokusatsu. ... The Onyanko Club (Kitten Club) was a large Japanese pop idol group in the 1980s with a new approach to the idol formula. ... Sukeban Deka, (スケバン刑事) literally delinquent girl detective is a Japanese manga series by Shinji Wada that was later adapted into a mid-80s live-action television series and three feature films. ... Inuyasha (Japanese: 犬夜叉) is a shōnen manga and anime series created by Rumiko Takahashi. ... Kagome Higurashi (日暮かごめ Higurashi Kagome) is a character in the fictional manga and anime series Inuyasha. ...

See also

• Gakuran
• Japanese school uniform
• Sailor suit