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From Military Uniform to Functional Daily Wear: The 150-Year Evolution of the 'Gakuran' School Uniform

2025.11.18

The "tsume-eri," or stand-up collar uniform, is one of Japan's most iconic school uniforms. With roots in Meiji-era military attire, it has remained a timeless favorite, recently gaining fame as the uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps in the hit manga "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba."

What is the history behind this garment, an icon of our own school days? We sat down with Toshinori Harada from Kanko Gakuseifuku Co., Ltd. (Kanko), a company that has been crafting tsume-eri uniforms since the Taisho era, to uncover the story of its evolution.

PROFILE

Toshinori Harada

Harada joined Kanko Gakuseifuku Co., Ltd. in 1995, where he was responsible for school development.

After working in planning positions in Nagoya and Tokyo, he joined the company's Student Engineering Research Institute in 2013.

Following a period in sales starting in 2018, he is now a member of the Structural Reform Promotion Office.

Why Did Military Uniforms Become School Uniforms?

First, what exactly is a "tsume-eri"?

As the name suggests, it refers to a garment with a high, closed collar. While there are several theories about its origins, the modern version is thought to have evolved from a medieval European garment called a 'doublet' that later incorporated a stand-up collar. Around the 19th century, it was adopted by militaries worldwide, including Japan's.

Why was it so widely adopted by militaries around the world?

It was suitable for protection from the cold and physical harm, and it was easy to attach rank insignia to the collar.

In Japan's case, another major factor was that traditional Japanese clothing, or 'wafuku,' was not suited for activities on warships or in gunfights. The wide sleeves of wafuku made movement difficult in a firefight, whereas the tsume-eri was very easy to move in.

So, traditional Japanese clothing had its limits.

Wafuku is actually well-suited for sword fighting. The sleeves are attached horizontally, which allows for a wide range of arm movement—up, down, left, and right.

Conversely, the tsume-eri has downward-facing sleeves, which makes it difficult to raise your arms, so it's not ideal for sword combat.

Both have their pros and cons, but as Japan established a Western-style military organization from the Meiji era onward, the tsume-eri was likely the optimal choice for a military uniform.

Were there instances of fighting with swords while wearing a tsume-eri?

Yes, there were. In the early Meiji period, soldiers carried sabers (Western-style swords). After the impressive performance of the Battōtai (drawn-sword corps) in the Satsuma Rebellion, the Japanese sword, or 'katana,' was re-evaluated, and the culture of carrying swords remained in the Japanese military until World War II.

When wearing a sword with a tsume-eri, a metal fitting was attached to the inside of a leather belt, and the sword was suspended from it.

Besides combat, were there other conveniences that came with switching from wafuku to the tsume-eri?

I think the change in material was a big factor.

From the Edo to the Meiji and Taisho periods, the clothing of common people was mainly made of cotton or linen. In contrast, the tsume-eri uniforms of the Taisho era were primarily made from thick woolen fabrics like 'rasha' (wool melton) or serge.

A cotton uniform from the 1920s to the 1940s

It might have felt restrictive at first for those not used to it, but I imagine people at the time found it to be very warm and comfortable.

The Mystery of the "Gakuran" and the Second Button

I'd also like to ask about the history of the tsume-eri.

In Japan, the tsume-eri officially became the military's uniform in the 3rd year of the Meiji era (1870). Afterward, it began to be worn as the uniform for government-related organizations such as the police, post office, and railways.

A group photo of male students in uniform, taken in the 1890s (Source: Gakushuin School Corporation)

How was the tsume-eri viewed by society when it first appeared?

I think it was seen as a type of “fashionable” attire. In the Meiji era, tsume-eri were made from imported wool, making them very expensive and something only the wealthy could afford.

Records from the late Taisho era show that while about 60% of men in Asakusa wore Western-style clothing, the figure in Hakodate was only about 20%.

Did people also wear styles that combined the tsume-eri with traditional Japanese clothing?

People wearing traditional Japanese attire would sometimes incorporate just one Western piece, like “a farmer in a kimono wearing trousers.”

On the other hand, wealthy individuals who could afford a complete Western-style outfit rarely seemed to mix in just one piece of Japanese clothing.

The tsume-eri school uniform is often called a “gakuran.” What is the origin of this name?

During the Edo period, the Netherlands was the only European country with which Japan had relations.

Because of this, anything Western was often given a name related to Holland (“ran”). For instance, Western studies were called 'rangaku,' Western medicine was 'ranpo igaku,' and Western clothes were 'ranpuku.'

The name 'gakuran' appears to be a holdover from this, combining 'gaku' (student) with 'ran' (from ranpuku, meaning Western clothes).

Speaking of the gakuran, another famous tradition is “giving away the second button at graduation.”

There are several theories, but it is believed to have originated from the 1960 film “Yokaren Story: Beyond the Azure Sky.”

The movie features a poignant scene where a character gives away his second button, the one closest to his heart, before heading off to die in battle. It’s a lovely story that this later spread and became a cultural tradition.

Evolving Manufacturing Technology: From Custom-Made to Home-Washable Uniforms

I'd also like to ask about how tsume-eri were made. They're mass-produced today, but what was the process like in the past?

In the Meiji era, they were all custom-made. By 1923, the 12th year of the Taisho era, when Kanko began making tsume-eri, industrial sewing machines had been developed, so machine-based manufacturing was the norm.

It seems they used a division of labor, with roles like “jacket sewer” and “trouser sewer.” The workload was so much that it would have taken a single person a full day to complete one uniform.

How often were these old tsume-eri uniforms replaced?

Being very expensive, I don't think they were replaced very often. People probably just mended any holes and kept wearing them.

Washing them was also quite an ordeal back then. The first dry cleaning service in Japan was started by Hakuyosha in 1907 (the 40th year of the Meiji era).

By the Taisho era, it was possible to have tsume-eri dry-cleaned, so people may have taken them to such shops to be cleaned, cherishing them for a long time.

I'd also like to ask about how the materials for tsume-eri have changed over time.

Initially, tsume-eri were made of wool. However, from the late Taisho to the early Showa era, cheaper cotton versions appeared and quickly became widespread.

Later, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, an order was issued prohibiting the manufacture and processing of cotton clothing, which dealt a huge blow to school uniform manufacturers. It was a difficult period when many makers were turned into military-managed factories, forced to produce army uniforms.

After the war, this ban was lifted in the 1950s, and the tsume-eri school uniform made a major comeback.

From that time on, manufacturers began producing more functional tsume-eri using synthetic fibers like nylon and polyester.

Were there any changes in the accessories, like buttons or caps?

Student caps were actually more widespread than the uniforms at first. If you look at photos from the Meiji era, you'll often see people pairing student caps with traditional Japanese clothing.

They later spread across the country along with the school uniforms, but their use declined starting in the 1960s. This seems to be due to the general trend of people wearing hats less often.

In contrast, one thing that hasn't changed is the buttons. They have been made of brass continuously from the Meiji era to the present day.

Could you tell us about the latest advancements in tsume-eri school uniforms?

At Kanko, we offer products like our “Dry Wash” school uniform, which is safe for home washing machines and dryers, and our “Feel Air” school uniform, designed to be comfortable even when students lean forward, a common posture in school.

The “Kanko Feel Air,” created through intensive research into student movements during school life to maximize comfort, mobility, and durability.

Regarding care, our joint research with Lion Corporation revealed that the “shiny” look that often appears on worn-out uniforms can be reduced with the right detergent.

For this reason, we recommend using “Acron,” a detergent for delicates, when washing school uniforms.

The “Kanko Dry Wash,” designed in the ultimate pursuit of easy care.

It sounds like they've gone through a lot of changes to keep up with the times. To wrap things up, could you share your feelings about the tsume-eri?

The tsume-eri was all the rage fashion-wise up until the 1970s and 80s. But as the birthrate declined, schools started looking for more original uniforms, and blazers grew in popularity thanks to their versatility and practical design. Currently, it's said that 95% of high schools and 60% of junior high schools use blazers.

However, the tsume-eri is more than just a uniform; it's a piece of clothing that carries Japanese culture and helped build the foundation of the post-war textile industry.

Lately, we're seeing more and more lightweight, easy-to-move-in tsume-eri with excellent functionality hitting the market. I really hope they manage to stick around in some form for years to come.

Text by Maishiro