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Japanese boys have not worn the wide range of different pants styles as worn in the West. This is largely because Japanese boys for the most part did not wear pants in the 19th century. They wire traditional robe-like kimonos. Only gradually after the Menji Restoration did boys begin wearing pants, primnarily in the 20th century. This occurred first almong elite groups in the major cities and only gradually grew in popularity. School uniform was a major way in which pants were introduced to Japanese boys. Japanese boys beginning in the 1920s have traditionally worn both short and long pants with a sharp age divide. Elementary boys usually wore short pants of varying styles depending on the time period. As soon as they graduated from elementary school at about 12 years of age they immediately syopped wearing short pants. Only in the 1990s have older boys begun wearing shorts, but only casual shorts--never dressy ones. We notice boys athletic wearing trainer pants and jeans in the 1980s.
HBC still has relatively little information on the style of pants worn by Japanese boys over time. Actually we think it was not very common during the 19th century, even after the Menji Resoration. Information is especially limited during earlier periods. Traditional dress, especially in rural areas, was commonly worn even in the late 19th century. Only gradually after the Menji Restoration did boys begin wearing pants. This occurred first almong elite groups in the major cities and only gradually grew in popularity. School uniform was a najor way in which pants were introduced to Japanese boys. This began to change in the early 20th century as pants became more and more popular. Boys commonly wore Western dress, especially after World War I. We begin to have much more information on Japan in the 20th century, especially after Wirld War II. Many boys wore short pants, I'm not sure if it was seasonal. Boys wore long baggy shorts. After World War II, boys by the early 1950s began wearing shorter, more trim fitting short pants. Styles changed over time, but continued to be quite short until the mid-1990s. Jeans also became popular in Japan, but I'm not sure just when.
One interesting question is who decides on the clothing worn by elementary-age children. It's only an issue for boys going to non-uniformed schools.
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Some Japanese observers specualte as to why styles of short pants changed so
sharply in the mid-1990s. There is no sure answe here, but HBC Japanese contributors have offered several plausible theories.
In Japan, school uniform is acceptable and even in some cases required for all non-athletic activities outside the home. Most Japanese boys seem dislike wearing their uniforms any more than they have to. The rule at most schools is not widely enforced. A boy showing up to a wedding, funeral or concert in school uniform would not look out of place. A Japanese contributor points out, "My high school in the 1960s required that the uniform be worn at all times outside the home." Generally speaking occasions for "dress-up" outside school-related activities are pretty sparse to begin with, weddings, funerals, and the occasional oncert/recital in musically inclined families).
Boys going to non-uniformed schools had much more leeway as to their clothes. (While many elemetary schools require uniforms, most do not.) Decissions on clothing were usually
made by the mother through the 1960s. The boy often just wore what was purchased for him. Behinning in the 1970s in the increasingly prosperous Japan, boys began to increasingly express their opinions and gradually mothers, who did almost all the buying, began to pay increasing attention to what their sons wanted, especially for play clothes. One Japanrse observer notes, "Boys in Japan now pretty much choose their own clothes for day-to-day wear, but that on dress up
occasions, their mothers make the decision." There are in the 1990s still some non-uniformed schools that still have a short pants dress code. A Japanese source reports that in the 1990s note that short pants were required at some Tokyo schools. Most Japanese just sort of assume without thinking about it that a formally dressed boy wears some kind of short pants in the same way that a formally dressed man wears a coat and tie.
HBC has no consumer survey on the style preferences of Japanese mothers. One Japanese observer believes some mothers do not like the current style of long short pants, especially the baggy style. Many would apparently prefer for their sons to wear the older shorter style. These shorts, however, except for school shorts, are not available in the stores. Apparently many mothers accept the new style because their sons prefer it and have asked for the longer style. The longer style has now been worn for several years. Little children now are not familiar with shorter short pants, they have only worn the longer shorts. Some mothers, however, draw the line at the baggy style. One mother reports that her son was teased by other boys when he wore his short-styled school shorts for play. A letter (from readers) of a Tokyo newspaper in 1999 dealt with short pants. A mother with an 11-year-old boy did not want to buy him the longer shorts that were becoming popular. She thought they were ugly. The boy, however, complained about wearing the shorter shorts because his friends teased him for wearing Tanpan (short short pants). This is a particularly significant report. Children around the world like to dress alike in trendy fashions. In Japan the need to look like your friends and classmates is particularly important. The Japanese, both children and adults, do not want to stand out in a crowd.
Japanese boys began wearing Western-style pant in the late 19th century. It did not become common, however, until well into the 20 century. We do not believe that knickers were ever commonly worn. Kneepants may have been worn in the early 20th century, but we have little information at this time. Japanese boys have mostly worn short and long pants. Japanese elementary school boys have traditiinally worn short pants. There were several different styles in both light and heavy-weight material, depending on the type of shorts and the seasons. The shorts from the 1950s through the mid-1990s were trim and short. Since the mid-1990s, longer length shorts have become prevalent, except for the shorts worn with school uniform. Japanese boys at about 12 years of age began wearing long pants. They tended to be dressy pants, usually school uniform pants. Almost all Japanese junior and senior high schools require uniforms. Besides their school uniform pants, Japanese boys would wear slacks. Only in the 1980s did Japanese boys begin to commonly wear jeans.
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