If you went to school in shorts and a polo shirt a long time ago, you might have been subject to discipline. Now some schools are making shorts and polo shirts their “uniform”. It was introduced as a measure to combat the heatwaves in Japan, where the temperature rises every year, and students have welcomed it, saying it’s “cool”. There is almost no difference between boys and girls, and it has been accepted as a genderless uniform.
Quick-drying polo shirts
“So cool!”
Muraoka Shun, a third-year student at private Ichikawa Junior and Senior High School (Chiba Prefecture), is delighted.
The school introduced shorts and polo shirts as its uniform last year. Muraoka cycles the 3-kilometer route from JR Ichikawa-Ono Station to school. “When I wore a shirt, I was drenched in sweat. With shorts, the edges of my pants don’t get caught on the car, which is nice.”
Moronaga Miyu, a first-year student, also welcomed the change, saying, “You can wear a polo shirt outside your bottoms, so it’s much cooler. My friends from elementary school are jealous of me.”
Yasushi Tsuzuki (64), head of the life guidance department, said, “We thought that students would be able to withstand the heat and that it would be easier for teachers to instruct them on how to dress.” A survey of parents and students… (The following is a paid version, 1517 characters remaining) Asahi Shimbun July 13, 2024 12:00
Yesterday, I dressed up a little and wore a polo shirt to buy lunch, but it was so hot that I took it off as soon as I got home. I guess middle and high school students can tolerate the heat better than I can.
>>36 When I watch the Irresponsible series or the President series, I see that they wear straw hats and open-necked shirts in the summer. Suits even in the middle of summer are a new culture that started in the late 80s and early 90s when air conditioners became common in ordinary households.
Even in the middle of summer, Japanese office workers with a Showa-era mentality walk around in the scorching sun wearing black or navy suits and ties to do business.
>>37 In the early Showa period, people wore linen suits, open-necked shirts, and straw hats, so it could be said that the period of high economic growth after the war was just abnormal.
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