Kids Web Japan

b) School uniform

(The Japan Forum)

Japanese children wear western-style clothing to school each day. They mostly wear casual clothing that is easy to move around in, such as T-shirts, jeans, shorts, skirts, and sneakers. They do not wear the traditional Japanese kimono. While most elementary schools, especially public schools, allow kids to wear pretty much whatever they like, uniforms are common at private schools. However, school uniforms are the norm for most middle and high schools, public and private alike. Schools requiring uniforms usually have rules about accessories and hair styles, too, though these differ for each school. Even many public elementary schools that allow individual dress have a standard type of bag used by all students for carrying textbooks and school supplies to and from school.