Uniforms and group society in Japan

Uniforms and “pseudo-uniforms”

Japan is one of the first countries in the world to wear uniforms: from elementary school to high school, and even in some universities; from small to large companies; from the colorful showrooms to the small shops dedicated to the sale of mobile phones. Size doesn't matter in the Japanese archipelago, which can boast its flourishing culture of formal dress. There is no other nation where the offer is so complete and overflowing.

The interest in this type of attire is such that there is a unanimous tendency to demand the use of "pseudo-uniforms" even in situations where it is not necessary. An example is found in suits of the same color and design that university students wear when looking for work. They are black and hide the originality of those who wear them, so that everyone looks the same. From the point of view of their function, they resemble a uniform. We have another example in the suits that mothers wear when their children take the entrance exams for secondary school; the same happens with the attire they choose for their own schoolchildren. In both cases, it could be said that it is practically a uniform.

In Japan, therefore, a distinction can be made between uniforms that are compulsory and “pseudo-uniforms” that are not. Let's see their reason for being and the function they fulfill.

Advantages of uniforms

It can be established, then, that uniforms are the clothing that is required of people who study or work in a certain place. This type of attire would fulfill five functions, namely:

1. Distinction

You can tell at a glance which school, team or entity someone belongs to. In the latter case, the uniform serves so that clients and other people outside that environment have an impression of aspects such as the work that is carried out. For example, the uniform of nurses in hospitals or that of employees in a department store.

2. Boost for pride and motivation

Uniforms also serve to increase motivation for work at school or in the workplace and to promote pride in those who wear them. An example of this function is found in the red uniforms worn by those in charge of cleaning the bullet trains, who belong to Tessei, a firm of the Eastern Japan Railways group, and who have been talked about a lot in recent years. The use of a strong color in the clothing of people who do modest and inconspicuous, but important work, serves to make them more visible. In addition, workers feel proud of their work and more motivated.

Tessei employees wait for the bullet train to arrive at Tokyo station to clean it up (image courtesy of Tessei).

Special uniforms reserved for highly skilled workers have the same effect. We see, for example, that the clothing of the pilots and co-pilots has several golden lines at the height of the shoulders and wrists –four in the case of the former and three in the case of the latter–.

3. Safety and comfort

It is easy to get an idea of ​​this if one thinks of factory workers. The garments they wear allow ease when moving and working, guarantee safety and protect the body from danger.

4. Brand attractions

Uniforms can help improve the image of a firm or establishment as a business card. This is the case with the outfit of the cabin crew of the airline Singapore Airlines, a uniform inspired by the traditional clothing of the island nation that has been worn since 1972. The effect of this representative feature on the image of the brand is considerable.

5. Recruiting ability

There are many uniforms with a great effect when it comes to hiring new staff. There are those who see them and think: “I also want to wear those clothes to work” or “I want to be part of that entity”. The clothing of those who work at Disneyland is a clear example.

The different uniforms of cabin crew throughout the history of ANA airlines during an event to mark the 30th anniversary of its international routes (image, courtesy of Jiji Press, taken at Narita Airport on March 3, 2016) .

We have explained the advantages of uniforms; Let us now see its disadvantages.

The movement for the abolition of uniforms

The movement for the abolition of uniforms, considered a sign of pressure from schools and adults, had its heyday about thirty or forty years ago, but today it has lost strength. In fact, it could be said that it has disappeared; and the opposite is happening: the use of elegant designs that reflect the opinions and demands of young people has resulted in an increase in the number of people who want to enter a school based on their clothing, and there are not a few schools whose Reputation has improved, even with regard to their educational level in some cases. Regulation clothing contributes to the image as a brand.

There is, therefore, a relationship between the great changes in the materials and designs of school uniforms and the decline of the tendency to consider them as a symbol of the system and a suffocating element. The development of synthetic fibers has lightened clothing and allowed the skin to breathe better, as well as eliminating the need for ironing and creating more comfortable clothing. It is also possible to vary more in the outfit due to the availability of different designs and garments such as vests, sweaters and blouses, among others, to combine with the basic pieces.

The difference with the uniforms of the past is abysmal: there was only one design, they were heavy and difficult to take care of. Currently, those who wear this type of clothing feel a strong desire to enjoy the fashion of their age. Changes in materials and design have also meant that uniforms have gone from being seen as a command prompt to something that one actively chooses.

Conomi signature uniforms, a brand of school wear popular throughout Japan (image courtesy of Conomi).

Uniforms as part of customer service

However, it is not entirely certain that this type of uniform will continue to prosper, as can be inferred from the mandatory clothing for women in companies. After the entry into force of the Law on Equal Employment Opportunities in 1986, this attire was pointed out as a symbol of gender discrimination, and companies were abolishing its use also moved by the tendency to reduce costs, something that possibly is also inevitably henceforth.

Naturally, the use of uniforms in offices entails expenses and the need to set up changing rooms. Actually, this clothing is not much needed in workplaces where there is no direct contact with customers. In order to reduce costs, in some companies the reception has been eliminated and there are no longer staff responsible for serving drinks to guests. The abolition of uniforms is an extension of all this.

However, the use of uniforms in places where there is direct contact with customers is a separate case. In 2016, the Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ bank decided to once again standardize the 16,000 men and women who attend tellers at all branches in the country. Banks such as Kagawa and Chūkyō have also revived formal dress, a move focused on the benefits of uniforms. It can be said that they are a part of customer service.

New Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Bank uniforms since January 2016. The concept: trust, neatness and closeness (image courtesy of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Bank).

It is possible that there will be more cases of companies that decide to revive the uniforms, but only after having studied the profitability of the measure, since it is not free of costs. Needless to say, firms that are not in a good economic situation will establish regulated clothing if they consider that its use has advantages, and will abolish it if the opposite occurs.

“Pseudouniforms”: a reflection of the abandonment of thought

Let's see why the Japanese are interested in "pseudo-uniforms" despite the fact that their use is not necessary:

1. Desire to avoid failure

The demand for suits for job search or entrance exams has its explanation in the desire to avoid, as far as possible, failure before it occurs. People don't like to think that the reason for their lack of success was the clothes they wore at a certain time, hence they prefer the same outfit. The "pseudo-uniforms" are a sample of the characteristic spirit of the Japanese, who seek to avoid fiascos.

2. Desire to bury originality

The Japanese do not want to attract attention and avoid situations in which they can stand out, a mentality directly related to "pseudo-uniforms". This type of clothing will not disappear if Japan does not become a society in which diversity is accepted and manifestations of personality are considered natural.

3. Changes in the environment

Job search suits have become more homogeneous; they lack variety. This is explained by the increase in stores that offer these outfits based on the fact that there is an excess of information about what to do and what not to do to succeed or fail when looking for a job. This did not exist two decades ago, when students chose the clothes they thought were appropriate for the occasion based on their own ideas and word of mouth. Currently, the selection is already made. It is difficult to fight against this current. The same thing happens with suits for entrance exams, which have also become a whole business. Japanese companies are experts in creating these types of product patterns.

Throughout the Japanese archipelago there is an environment conducive to people simply buying certain items without stopping to think, and this is precisely a breeding ground for "pseudo-uniforms". At the moment, the situation shows no signs of changing in Japan, the quintessential country of true and false uniforms.

(Spanish translation of the Japanese original written on April 11, 2016)

Header image courtesy of Conomi, a firm specializing in school uniforms and accessories.