Roles of Imitation Seifuku School Uniforms in Japan: A Case Study of Students at Uniform-Free Schools and the Iconic J-pop Performers of AKB48

ABSTRACT:In Japan school uniforms have been used for role-playing by those other than cosplayers. In order to understand this social discourse, this article examines the chronological development of Japanese school uniforms and then discusses how and why imitation school uniforms have been adopted and adapted by students at uniform-free schools as well as by female J-pop performers. The article argues that school uniforms are sentimentally valuable in Japan as they represent narratives of youth before entering a tough and restricted adult life. School uniforms symbolize freedom and a future full of possibilities, growth, and hope. In this regard, the uniform-like costumes are attractive to both the youth who wear them, such as the students and popstars, and to the grown-ups, such as fans of pop stars, as the costumes remind them that life was once good in the “good old days.”