Figure 1.--We note several Japanese schools that require white socks for both boys and girls. Often the children can wear either ankle or kneesocks as long as they are white. This is interesting as Japanese schoiols are often quite stict about other aspects of the uniform.

Japanese boys over time have worn a wide range of hosiery types as part of school uniforms. Younger peimary school children often wear short pants as part of the uniform. Often this was required. Some children at these schools wear tights during the winter. White tights were the most common for formal occasions. Tights were especially common for boys in northern Japan. Japanese elementary children through World War II (1941-45) often wore long stockings with the generally long knee-length short pants, especially during the winter. Long stockings generally disappeared after the War as shorter-length short pants became more popular. Many Japanese the elementary schoolboys once worn kneesocks. This appears to be much less common as many boys now wear ankle socks, even during the winter. The schools are uncharacteristically lack about this. Most schools with uniforms were not strict about the socks worn, but others were quite strict. Boys at other elementary schools requiring shorts allow boys to wear ankle socks, again primarily white. Often the school does not impose a standard type so boys may wear both ankle and knee socks. Some schools insist on at least a common color, although some schools even allow some variation here, at leasr white, blue, and grey socks. Bright colored socks would probably not be permitted.

Tights

Many Japanese boys commonly wore tights to school. They were commonly worn with short pants. They were worn both at schools which required a uniform and the schools where uniforms were not required. Many boys wore them everyday in colder days specially in Kindergarten and the first and second grades of elementary school. While it was most common for these younger boys to wear tights, some older boys also wore them. Japanese schools, even uniform schools tended to be less strict about hosiery than many other uniform items. We note some schools in whih some children wear tights and others do not. At other schools, however, we note all the younger children wearing tights. So some schools clearly had school rules requiring tights be worn as part of the uniform or schoolwear. These rules seem to have not only varied by age, but also seasonally. We also note gender variations, especually with tights forst appeared. Warm clothing was not only the only reason for wearing tights. They were also seen as formal wear. We note boys dressing up for First Day ceremonies with short pants suits and tights. White tights were the most common for formal occasions.

Long Stockings

Japanese elementary children through World War II (1941-45) often wore long stockings with the generally long knee-length short pants, especially during the winter. We still see long stockings after the War in the 1940s and 50s. They seems to have disappeared as shorter cut short pants began to become in the late 50s. Also tights appeared about the same time. We are not entirely sure about the age comventions, but they were mostly worn by younger children. Younger children began wearing tights during the winter. The stockings were apparently not very popular with the children, they were worn by both boys and girls. Yukio Mishima wrote in his autobiographical novel, Confessions of a Mask. The time would have been the late-1930s. "It was well into the winter of my second year in middle school. By then we had become accustomed to long trousers and to calling each other by unadorned surnames. (In lower school we had never been permitted to leave our knees bare below our short pants, not even in the height of summer, and thus our joy at first putting on long trousers had been doubled by the knowledge that never again wold we have to garter our thighs painfully. In lower school we had also had to use the formal form of address when calling each other by name.)"

Knee Socks

Many Japanese the elementary schoolboys once worn knee socks. This appears to be much less common as many boys now wear ankle socks, even during the winter. The schools are uncharacteristically lack about this. Most schools with uniforms were not strict about the socks worn, but others were quite strict. The most common color is white kneesocks, but blue are also common and grey are somertimes worn. Other colors are not common. Knee socks were once commonly worn by Japanese school boys, even schools not requiring uniforms. Most knee socks are not the turnover type worn in England and New Zealand.

Ankle Socks

Boys at other elementary schools requiring shorts allow boys to wear ankle socks, again primarily white. Often the school does not impose a standard type so boys may wear both ankle and knee socks. Some schools insist on at least a common color, although some schools even allow some variation here, at leasr white, blue, and grey socks. Bright colored socks would probably not be permitted.

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Created: 8:08 PM 9/29/2004
Last updated: 11:22 PM 8/30/2016