Japanese School Uniform: Sailor Fuku, Gakuran, and What They're Called

Sailor Fuku and Gakuran — Two Different Outfits

Japanese school uniform has two classic types. The sailor fuku (セーラー服) is the girls' uniform with a sailor-style collar, ribbon tie, and pleated skirt; the name comes from English "sailor." The gakuran (学ラン) is the boys' uniform: a black or dark blue jacket with a high stand collar without lapels, fastened with a hook at the throat. Today many schools have replaced both with a blazer and tie or ribbon — simpler and cheaper to make.

The Uniform Isn't Only Worn in Class

After school, Japanese students often continue wearing their uniform — to cram school, to the store, home: school rules generally don't forbid wearing the uniform outside class, and changing clothes during the day is simply inconvenient. School rules usually don't specify separate uniform etiquette for out-of-school time.

What the Uniform, Sailor Blouse, and Jacket Are Called

Why "Holland" Is Hidden in Gakuran

The 蘭 in 学ラン is the same character as in 蘭学 (rangaku), "Dutch learning": during the era of the closed country, this was the term for European knowledge, because the Dutch were Japan's only Western partner. One theory says the 蘭 in gakuran is a trace of the same custom of calling everything Western "Dutch," via the old word 蘭服 (rampuku) "European clothing." Both theories agree on one thing: 蘭 here doesn't mean the flower, but the West as a whole.

The Dispute Over the First Sailor Blouse and the Prussian Uniform Theory

Several schools claim to have introduced the sailor fuku first. The earliest, in 1920, was Heian Jogakuin in Kyoto — but there it was a one-piece dress with a belt, not the separate blouse and skirt familiar today. The separate cut that survives to this day was introduced in 1921, and there are three contenders for the first: Kinjo Gakuin in Nagoya in September, Ferris Jogakuin in Yokohama in November, and Fukuoka Jogakuin in December. The last has its own story: the principal, Elizabeth Lee, had already ordered a uniform from a local tailor in 1917 based on the sailor blouse she wore as a student in England, and the top alone took three years to make. The major uniform manufacturer Tombow for a time hosted the Fukuoka version on its website, but later removed the page, calling it merely a commonly accepted view.

The boys' jacket appeared earlier: the elite Gakushuin adopted its dress code in 1879. Japanese sources trace the origin of today's school uniform to the stand-collar jacket introduced in 1886 at Tokyo Imperial University; in the same year, higher normal schools were also prescribed this uniform. The color and cut were taken from the military uniform of the time: black or dark blue in winter, white in summer. A popular theory links the silhouette directly to the Prussian uniform, but Japanese sources do not support this connection.

When Blazers Came In

The shift to blazers began in the second half of the 1980s and continued into the 1990s. Schools used it to combat modified uniforms — lengthened jackets and baggy trousers, a fashion that had persisted since the late 1970s; manufacturers also helped by offering schools new cuts. By the mid-2000s, the stand-collar jacket was worn in roughly seven out of ten middle schools, but only two out of ten high schools.

制 — The Character for Regulation in the Word "Uniform"

制 — значение: to establish a rule, regulation, system, order, to restrict — онъёми: セイ — 8 штрих(ов). 制 — the first character in 制服: "to establish a rule, regulation." The same character appears in 制度 (seido) "system, institution" and 強制 (kyōsei) "compulsion": all three share the idea of a law to which one submits.

The Second Character — 服, "Clothing"

The on'yomi reading of 制 is セイ (sei); it has no kun'yomi: it always appears in compound words. 服 (fuku) means "clothing" and is also read only with its on'yomi — フク: together 制服 (seifuku) is "regulated clothing," the official Japanese term for any uniform, not just school, from military to medical.

Write 制 along the guides — the character for "regulation" that begins the Japanese word for uniform, 制服.

FAQ

What is the Japanese school uniform called?

In Japanese, any uniform is 制服 (seifuku), "clothing according to a set standard." School uniforms also have more specific names: セーラー服 (sērāfuku) is the sailor blouse for girls, 学ラン (gakuran) is the jacket for boys, and in modern schools they are increasingly replaced by a blazer with a tie.

Who first introduced the sailor fuku in Japan?

Several schools claim the first. In 1920, Heian Jogakuin in Kyoto was the first to adopt the sailor blouse, but there it was a one-piece dress with a belt. The separate cut familiar today was introduced in 1921 by three schools at once: Kinjo Gakuin in Nagoya in September, Ferris Jogakuin in Yokohama in November, and Fukuoka Jogakuin in December.

Where does "Holland" come from in the word "gakuran"?

The 蘭 in 学ラン is the same character as in 蘭学 (rangaku) "Dutch learning": during the era of the closed country, Holland was Japan's only Western partner, and the word "Dutch" came to mean all things European. One theory says this is where the "ran" in gakuran comes from — a trace of the fashion of calling European clothing "Dutch."

Is it true that the gakuran was copied from the Prussian military uniform?

This is a widespread theory, but Japanese sources do not directly confirm it. The documented history is simpler: Gakushuin adopted its dress code in 1879, and the origin of today's uniform is considered to be the stand-collar jacket introduced in 1886 at Tokyo Imperial University — from there it spread to schools.

When did Japanese schools switch to blazers?

The mass shift began in the second half of the 1980s and continued into the 1990s: schools moved away from modified uniforms, and manufacturers offered them new cuts. The jacket didn't disappear, though — in middle school it is still worn more often than in high school.

What does the word 制服 mean character by character?

制 (sei) means "to establish a rule, regulation," 服 (fuku) means "clothing": together 制服 (seifuku) literally means "clothing according to a set standard." The same first character appears in 制度 "system" and 強制 "compulsion" — all three words share the idea of a law to which one submits.

Sources

• Heian Jogakuin: school history page (uniform introduced in 1920)
• Fukuoka Jogakuin: news about the history of the sailor fuku and principal Elizabeth Lee
• Tombow (uniform museum): origin of the word "gakuran"
• Wikipedia: 学生服 — history of the boys' uniform
• Kotobank: 制服