New dress code allows choice of bottoms for female students only.
Though the word uniform literally means “one form,” on any given day at a school in Japan you’ll see two different uniforms: one for boys and one for girls. For example, at Yokota Prefectural High School in Shimane Prefecture the boys’ uniform has slacks, while the girls’ has a skirt.
However, when next school year starts in the spring, Yokota will no longer have boys’ uniforms and girls’ uniforms. That’s not because they’re going to a single identical uniform that all students will wear, though, but because the school is renaming them as Type I and Type II, as part of its evolving acknowledgment of gender identity diversity.
For the 2021 school year, Yokota’s female students will be able to choose between wearing a skirt or slacks, and the school says that a number of them have already expressed a desire to wear the latter. While no doubt some of those choices are being prompted by the greater warmth long pants provide, Yokota has made it clear that the primary reason for instituting the slacks/skirt option is not Japan’s infamously chilly classrooms, but to allow students to wear garments that they feel adequately align with how they identify in terms of gender.
Yokota will become the 13th of Shimane’s 34 full-time prefectural high schools to allow female students to wear slacks. However, the freedom to choose between wearing pants or a skirt is not being extended to the male student body. “At this stage, we are only changing the dress code [to allow students to choose] for female students,” said Kyoko Mitani, a humanities teacher at Yokota. However, she added “Taking into consideration the various opinions of students and their guardians, I want us to continue thinking about gender diversity,” implying that the school may allow male students to wear skirts before long.
Source: Mainichi Shimbun via Yahoo! Japan News via Jin
Top image: Pakutaso
● Want to hear about SoraNews24’s latest articles as soon as they’re published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
Japanese high school adds culottes to uniforms to better accommodate gender diversity
Japanese public school to allow male students to wear skirts, chest ribbons as part of uniform
Japanese middle school promotes long pants to full-uniform status for girls, equal with skirts
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Manga artist wants Japanese teachers to feel, for two seconds, how dumb their girls’ dress code is
Japan announces sudden 500-percent increase in visa fees for foreigners entering the country
Japanese ninja certification exam attracts 131 candidates from Japan and abroad
Japanese sweets brand creates new drinkable Cigare and we’re totally here for it
“Phantom Egg Shop” opens in Japan, with a dozen rare Japanese varieties
Studio Ghibli store Donguri Republic announces opening of first-ever store in America
Ginza Happo: One of Tokyo’s best all-you-can-eat seafood restaurants is an extreme buffet affair
Starbucks Japan releases new Frappuccino, tea and soda drinks for summer
Japanese merry-go-round has heartwarming backstory, is one of the best rides in Japan
7-Eleven Japan vs Family Mart: Who has the biggest convenience store cookie?
Japanese sweets shop sells an ohagi so exquisite it sells out by noon
Forget Tokyo go-karts – there’s a new way to sightsee on four wheels in Japan
7-Eleven Japan to start selling Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches this summer
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam is getting a new look before its end-of-summer removal
Starbucks Japan releases new limited-edition summer drinks…and a pastry for dunking
New Japanese overnight train coming to connect Tokyo with Tohoku in sleep-travel style
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japanese schoolgirl points out an especially dumb part of her school’s “no tights” dress code
Snappy as they look, Japanese school uniforms can be an extremely expensive hassle for parents
Uniqlo outfits might become Japanese high school’s official uniforms
Japanese middle school criticized for pulling out girls’ bra straps to check their color
Student in Japan misses week of class after school won’t let him wear sweatshirt on snowy day
Petition to allow students to choose what they wear to school gathers almost 19,000 signatures
Japanese high schools stop asking students to specify their gender on application forms
Not everyone hates school uniforms: Japanese Twitter shows us why
Dumb Japanese school dress codes — Coronavirus winter edition
Gender-jumping gakuran – Traditional Japanese schoolboy uniform inspires new dress for women
Students confused over Japanese school banning ponytails for “conjuring lustful feelings”
Japanese high school teachers forcibly cut off hair that was “too long” from 44 students
East Japan Railway abolishes skirts, ribbons in women’s uniforms to “eliminate gender difference”
Japan abolishes skirts from policewoman uniforms nationwide
Tokyo junior high school demands students wear white underwear as part of dress code
The surprisingly deep differences of sailor suit school uniform collar styes – Kanto-eri and more