2025.11.18

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

#Kanko School Uniforms

#Tsume-eri

#School uniform

#Gakuran

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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.