Japanese men reveal costumes they want their girlfriends to wear

Just on the Schoolgirl uniform and is it really sexy? Well, a few years ago I had to look after two colleagues from the US. They arrived a day early and wanted to see some temples. One of them, Joseph, was very, very, religious. Always praying, before meals, before major meetings etc. Lovely guy though. So on the way to the temple we took the subway. He was quite amazed that throughout our 15 minute trip a woman further down the train was doing her make up. But on the return trip school was out and ahead of us going up an escalator were a gaggle of school girls most with their skirts hitched up high. As we left the station he said to me, "I'm sorry to say but I have been having impure thoughts".

I knew what he meant.

Every man has a turn-on, but Japanese guys take this cosplay fetish stuff way too seriously. A woman who presents herself attractively in any kind of clothing is fine with me. And you could make the case that many of these outfits have underage connotations.

Funny article. I suppose that as long as the girl isn't sporting a bob, straight bangs or a short hair cut most Japanese guys would be fine with her in any of the above costumes.

SimondB: The thing about finding young (though not too young) girls attractive is that they are. Young men certainly are too, though they peak a little later. Young people are usually blessed with good, firm skin, muscle tone and the healthy glow of life that comes with youth. Youth is associated with fertility and energy. It's got far less to do with the uniform that the simple biology of being young. Look at your old school photos. You may have had goofy hair and dubious fashion but there is an undeniable attractiveness to being young. Of course there are the dorks among us who didn't quite blossom until a little later in life and there is certainly a lot to be said for being a little older and wiser and that being very attractive as well. I guess my point is just that the whole school girl costume fetishization is probably misinterpreted as being about the uniform when it's mostly about being young.

Tied with the school swimsuit is the considerably less innocent choice of straight up bondage gear.

Less innocent than lusting after an underage child?! Give me a guy into bondage any day over a guy into 13 year olds.

And you could make the case that many of these outfits have underage connotations.

Well, 3 out of 11 are schoolgirl-connected, which is in itself not necessarily underage, just inappropriate.

All the nice boys love a uniform about as much as all nice girls do, I suppose. The service industry uniforms are pretty commonplace in this list - women who are meant to serve in a professional capacity are also willing to perform extra personal services for the right man, is that the idea?

The outfits that I would expect to see in a similar list for Western men would be those like librarian, school ma'am, secretary, nun - the buttoned-up woman who a man imagines he can seduce into taking off her glasses, letting down her hair and changing her habit of a lifetime.

Oh, and stripper. I would expect "stripper" to be on that list.

ChibaChick: To be fair a large percentage of girls wearing school uniforms are 17 and 18 years old. It may still be creepy to have a guy in his 40s lusting after them but a little less so than if he's feeling that way about 13-year olds.

When I was a high schooler, our uniforms were regarded as a deterrent to perverts. How surprised I was when I visited Japan and discovered that they had just the opposite effect.

Said a "35-year-old software engineer".

That about sums it up. NEEERDS!!!

Cameras up strangers' skirts are a no-no, but as for the basic school uniform kick, well Britain had sexy St Trinian schoolgirls in stockings and suspenders way back in the 1950s. (And sexy Barbara Windsor in a nurse's uniform in a different film.) I'd guess the preferences listed in this article would go for other countries' men too, more or less.

I have always thought it very odd how acceptable and even encouraged it is to publicly fetishize jhs/hs-aged girls in Japan -- which manifests itself in the top cosplay fetish of choice mentioned in this article.

I remember first feeling uncomfortable by this, and just responding with an awkward laugh, during my early years in Japan. At that time, I taught 9th graders at an all-girl's junior high school during the day and taught at companies in the evening hours. Almost invariably when I told businessmen in the night classes that I taught at the girl's school they would openly go perverted on me, expressing their envy toward me like I was some sort of Playboy photographer.

There would be repercussions in my home country (especially in a business setting) if someone were to tell a male jhs teacher how lucky he was to spend time amongst all those 'hot' girls in school uniforms.

I used to know a lovely mature Japanese woman who would wear her daughter's old high school uniform for me.

It was her idea!

But I think my favorite outfit for a Japanese woman is the "shufu" look... an apron with lingerie (or nothing) underneath. Somehow that's great.

choiwaruoyaji: To each his own! I know quite a few women who nearly melt when NYC firemen go by in their uniforms. Guys they might not look twice at on the street turn into magnetic hotties when they put on those funny pants, suspenders and hats. Truth be told though, NYC fire departments do seem to attract a lot of naturally attractive men!

No cheerleader uniform? Also, a bikini is way sexier than a school swimsuit, then again I'm not a pedophile.

I'm so over this article and the hair one. Yes, I understand people have their fetishes, but where's the WOMEN'S opinions? Oh right, it doesn't matter: We just need the misogynistic view of how women shouldn't wear their hair, or what outfits turn men on.

It's like that Kraft commercial in the US: We can have MILLIONS of advertisements with half/fully naked women trying to sell everything from furniture to perfume, but the second they turn a man into a sexual object for some salad dressing OHHH NOOO, TOO FAR!!

Meat-packer... with stains. Mmm!

At least three of them are "service oriented"... I guess men are really hoping to be "served" (in every way...) all their lives...

The birthday suit costume never fails to work for me.

Its weird to think that Japanese people are so liberated to talk about sex stuff but the birthrate is so low and dropping... I wonder what that means..

What about "Catholic Schoolgirl fetish"? Its far more common than the sailor uniform internationally, and has been for decades before Japan even really entered the international porn market.

But Japan did catch up quickly now, right?

This is a strong clue as to why there are so many pervy acts involving schoolgirls in this country.

Personally, I prefer the Santa outfit. Would like to try the Kimono as well.

Isn't the sailor suit uniform for younger girls? Junior high or elementary? Can't recall. What does that tell you about Japanese men...!

I've lived in Japan for most of the last quarter century, pretty much right at the center of otaku culture. This list is so unsurprising it's actually disappointing. The school swimming suits and the school phys-ed uniforms that so many Japanese guys get excited about do nothing for me. As for sailor-style uniforms, I like to see nicely-designed ones that suit a girl well, but that's more about style than anything sexual. So why is my reaction so different from those of the Japanese men around me? Simple. I have no fond memories from puberty and adolescence of these items. Many commenters seem to think that men are drawn to the uniforms because they're drawn to young girls. I think it's more the nostalgia aspect. The closest American equivalent I can think of is the cheerleading uniform. Beyond that, there aren't many iconic uniforms in the U.S. that everyone wore and the sight of which instantly brings you back to the age of thirteen. Remember: Most Japanese people spent almost every day of their teen years wearing a school uniform! With the decline in population and rising competition among schools, uniform designs have become an important recruiting tool. Some hire famous designers to create them. I know Japanese women who selected a school entirely on the basis of the uniform. I have no interest in seeing my own wife in the generic cosplay school uniform in the photograph, but I'd love to see her in the uniform of a certain girls' school here in Kyoto!

What about the lasses at baseball games dressed as beer.

Schoolgirl Uniform (Sailor Suit Type) – 23.4%

And people wonder why Japan has such a problem with child porn

choiwaruoyajiAug. 23, 2013 - 08:22AM JST

But I think my favorite outfit for a Japanese woman is the "shufu" look... an apron with lingerie (or nothing) underneath. Somehow that's great.

There goes my breakfast!

Woman local government garbage collector, there's plenty around here, with full stains and smells included.

No policewomen? No handcuffs?

Remember: Most Japanese people spent almost every day of their teen years wearing a school uniform

This is true for many countries... and yet... no other nation (appears to) have this association between sexuality and underage school girl uniforms.....

To be fair a large percentage of girls wearing school uniforms are 17 and 18 years old.

To be fair your age perception is not very accurate. In the kyaba places, I guess that's their age. High schoolers that are over 16 usually wear the blazer uniforms or some shirt and sweater. The sailor suit is sometimes primary school and usually junior high in Japan. That's already weird as it was designed for toddlers and preschoolers. When I was a kid and I was watching the Sailor Moon anime, I thought the heroins were 6 and put in more adult contexts.

What about "Catholic Schoolgirl fetish"?

They ask men about their girlfriends, not their boyfriends.

The dark navy one-piece swimsuit is #9? That should be #1, ha ha

And buruuma ( bloomers ) didn't even make the list? What the heck is wrong with men these days? lol

I always thought Japanese girls in "School Uniforms" looked cute xD

No policewomen? No handcuffs?

I agree, where are the miniskirt police?

David Elson: This is true for many countries... and yet... no other nation (appears to) have this association between sexuality and underage school girl uniforms.....

You're a little out of touch with pop culture if that's what you think.

Britney Spears: Baby One More Time, t.a.T.u: All the Things She Said, D.E.B.S. (a Charlie's Angels spoof), Gossip Girl and so on.

There are also plenty of places that sell "sexy" school girl uniforms as Halloween costumes and if a quick Google check is to be believed, plenty of porn which involves school girl uniforms, and I don't mean Japanese porn.

Cos: You are correct but it's because of the declining popularity of the sailor girl uniform among high schools. In the past, a far greater number of high school uniforms were the sailor type and if we're talking about anyone over say, 35 or so, they are not necessarily thinking of junior high school age girls when they get all nostalgic about the sailor uniforms.

According to Japan's largest uniform manufacturer, Tombow Co., in 2012 about 50 percent of junior high schools chose sailor-style uniforms, but only 20 percent of high schools did so. Those familiar navy blue, skirted sailor suits are no longer the majority. They started declining in popularity in the 80s as they came to be associated with troublemaking gangs of female high school students giving rise to the "sukeban".

Kimono?

Wakarimasen: Kimono?

For those with sexual fantasies about Grandma? Euwww!

A 35-year-old software engineer who chose the sailor suit as his favorite put it simply: “I can’t help it. Seeing the girl you like in her uniform is the dream of all men.”

Interview regular people and not a bunch of nerds to get different answers.

This is my kind of news! Next time, more pics please :)

It's not that cosplay itself attracts men but the extraordinary nature of cosplay that excites men.

Never got into the cosplay thing. I just prefer 'nothing on' from the get go.

@Devil

Your first dates must be quite an experience!

Quite disturbing for a wholesome guy like myself to know that many men i see on a daily basis could be weiro perverts like these nut jobs in the article.

I only had physical relationships with one woman and that is my wife after marriage, and that's how it should be, i'll tell you what.

At a wild guess, it's because the guy's hormones started to kick in when they were at JHS, and that's when they first got interested in girls. I know in my own country, the UK, newspapers and magazines used to run "glamour" shots of models in school uniform. But, the rise of the paedophile scare made that a no-no.

When I first saw my ex in her OL uniform one day it nearly blew my mind!

Japanese men reveal costumes they want their girlfriends to wear????

Not only Japanese men, I bet all men's ultimate preference is for their GFs to reveal all!

Enjoy your day, guys!

paulinusa, you hit the nail on the head! Kind of creepy if you ask me.

...you could make the case that many of these outfits have underage connotations.

Well the two school uniforms and school swimsuit maybe, but not the others...

"more pics please"

Check out RocketNews24.

Isn't the sailor suit uniform for younger girls? Junior high or elementary? Can't recall. What does that tell you about Japanese men...!

Fully grown up adult male fantasizing school girls should be called as Perverts. In the old days, some pervert teachers married 13 or 14 yrs old school girls.

Reveal the costume?

Reveal all or reveal nothing?

Either way, it surely makes the men happy at the end I suppose!

Have a good weekend fellas!

Said a "35-year-old software engineer". That about sums it up. NEEERDS!!

If it wasn't for those nerds you would not have all the free porno you can get on demand!

Everybody gets turned on by different ways of dressing up etc..the Japanese are no different. As for me, I go ga ga for the Maruno uchi OLs! When they are in those tight skirts, and their skimpy white blouses, those buttons just about to pop right open!! Grrrrrr!!!! That for me is way more sexy than some crappy kid in a sailor jr. h.s. uniform in pig tails! But if Japanese dudes get turned on by kids??? Or by women dressed up as kids?? It is another culture and me no comprender!

I haven't been to Japan in too long, but for me the schoolgirl outfit is just an outfit. I liked ambrosia's mention that its not about the uniform itself but its association with youthfulness. Luckily I'm 35 but look like I'm still in my early 20s. Many of the bratty teens I come across still think I'm in their generation until I start talking like my age. If we must go cosplay, I like the "normal" cosplay of ,"if you look great in it wear it baby..." .... well there is also those knee high stockings and that goes with almost any outfit above.

When we call the J-guys pervs for getting turned on by school uniforms, just remember the women wearing gymnslips in western media... or the 'actresses' who turn up dressed as 'Catholic schoolgirls' in US adult videos.

'Cute'. A word which is either stupid or suspicious.

I think all these people who fantasize with their wives wearing certain uniforms have issues. I like my wife to wear the original Adam and Eve uniform when in private at home.

I like my wife to wear the original Adam and Eve uniform when in private at home.

I like the original birthday suit, but if you've ever watched Seinfeld and the episode where his gf walks around naked all the time and suddenly Seinfeld starts complaining about how when she was doing certain things he saw muscles and skin move in rather unappealing places....

I asked my wife if she would dress up as Wolverine for me..

I concur. Whenever I am there, its what catches my attention each and every time.

Watch out for those blades, malfupete ! ! !

The fascination with school uniforms and the like is probably very easy to explain without demonizing men (which unfortunately will turn a lot of people off of the explanation).

Boys start getting interested in girls during their puberty, at a moment where they are usually surrounded by girls and in daily contact with them in school. It's likely that their first crushes will occur at that time. And what do the girls wear at that period of their lives when they awaken to sexual desires? Mostly school uniforms. It's not unusual for men to latch on to this symbol of their first years of sexual and romantic awakening.

Then, when Japanese men get out of school, they get caught in the soul-crushing Japanese workplace with a lot fewer women to interact with. Their school years become their golden years. All of that conspires to create a strong emotional attachment to everything that reminds them of school, and associating love with boys and girls in uniform.

I wonder, if the same was asked of Japanese women, would they also opt for school uniforms, boys' of course?

Frustrated and hence perverse men!

I do not like to use this word, but this is really pathetic.

I agree that there is nostalgia at play in relation to the schoolgirl uniform, but I think there are other aspects to that as well.

I taught for a while in a mostly girl's high school and taught a range of girls, the oldest being 18 in their final year. 18 is fairly mature - that's University age in many countries, and I found that these girls were no different. They were essentially blooming young women who were quite confident, bold and willing to explore the world in a fairly mature way - but got around in a school uniform. It was a strange juxtaposition at times. They were fully aware of the way men regarded them as attractive young women, and the effect they had on men - whilst wearing this kind of 'taboo shield' which both attracted and deterred men at the same time. They actually seemed quite powerful to me within Japanese culture because of this and at times appeared to revel in it.

They were also quite flirtatious with me in class at times, which I was surprised by. I subsequently heard that it is quite common for young Japanese male teachers to end up marrying ex students of theirs, which also surprised me, but in my case I was amazed that, far from being shy wallflowers, some of these girls were anything but. They almost seemed like an empowered group, and perhaps that's part of the appeal.

Bondage gear? Really Japan? That's surprising to be honest. I can't see the appeal myself. I expected the nurse and schoolgirl outfits: they seem to be popular the world over. Surprised I didn't see police officer in the list, that can work quite well, with the right girl. The most unusual response from me would be cosplaying anime characters. It's probably best if you just leave it at that. I don't think I could put "jebcwiinvncnjvkfjdncjfndcdbcjbcbjcf" into coherent words.

ambrosia, I'm not sure what you mean by:

I suppose that as long as the girl isn't sporting a bob, straight bangs or a short hair cut most Japanese guys would be fine with her in any of the above costumes.

Do you mean Japanese men only go in for long, straight hair without bangs? Ayame Goriki, the most popular young actress today has very short hair and the guys go gaga for her. (I love short hair myself, but I don't really get Ayame's appeal.) Here's a link to an article on the 10 most popular actresses of the first half of 2013. Scroll through and you can see lots of different hairstyles! Bangs seem to big these days, too. I think the men who go for long, straight hair like Pavlov's dogs are all over the age of fifty. http://www.oricon.co.jp/entertainment/special/page/607/

It was in reference to a silly article on the hairstyles a bunch of Japanese men who were polled said were their least favorite: the bob, straight bangs and short cuts. It was on this site earlier in the week.

They were also quite flirtatious with me in class at times, which I was surprised by. I subsequently heard that it is quite common for young Japanese male teachers to end up marrying ex students of theirs,

To me it is disgusting to see young J male teachers seduce the inexperienced female students. Nobody knew whether they have already taken advantage during their younger school age. In fact they are perverts too whether they are in twenty or thirty or forty or fifty. Many irresponsible J media have encouraged teacher students relationship. One example is

http://doramax264.com/15426/kou-kou-kyoushi-j-drama-1993/

which also surprised me, but in my case I was amazed that, far from being shy wallflowers, some of these girls were anything but. They almost seemed like an empowered group, and perhaps that's part of the appeal.

Teacher and Doctors are respected profession for J society. Being in that profession has advantage for attracting the younger girls. However if many and many of teachers and doctors ended up marrying with students and patients, J -society go backward again to Edo era. During that era Macho Samurai Males bullied and ruined the society with their swords. Many impoverished young girls in teen married someone who are already adults.

far from being shy wallflowers, some of these girls were anything but. They almost seemed like an empowered group, and perhaps that's part of the appeal.

There is no big deal about teenage J girl fell in love or settle with fully grown up J adult male. However I noticed that it is a serious crime in many western nations and disreputable for that adult. Being the inexperienced young girls may have fantasy with teachers, doctors or celebrities. It does not mean they really know what they are feeling or doing. Those people are role model of youngsters. If they take the advantage, they are sinful for exploitation of younger girls fantasy.

I'm more interested in what costumes women would like to see men wear.

No favorites, I like them all!

Bo-ring.....!! Not a surprise at all that they have so little imagination. Ho hum.

I think when the temps reach over 25 degrees centigrade, it should be mandatory in Tokyo, etc...to wear cute, short mini skirts, and be illegal to wear black thick wool crap that is meant of the MIDDLE OF WINTER!!

@Elbuda

Agreed 100%!

You first....

Anyway, I like the OL outfit personally. It seems to suit most anyone quite well.

I'm more interested in what costumes women would like to see men wear

Men rely far, far more on visual stimuli than women do. The overwhelming majority of porn is aimed at heterosexual and homosexual men. Erotic literature is aimed at women, whose sexual feelings are sparked by other senses. (This may of course have something to do with discretion / shame, as it was more acceptable for men to rent porn, and far more discreet to read it).

Buff guy in uniform is the standard dress-up fantasy for women isn't it, with the focus on 'buff guy gradually getting naked' rather than any specific uniform.

Maria said:

Men rely far, far more on visual stimuli than women do. The overwhelming majority of porn is aimed at heterosexual and homosexual men. Erotic literature is aimed at women, whose sexual feelings are sparked by other senses.

That is probably true in general, but keep in mind that Japan has a thriving market in pornographic manga by and for women, which can be purchased at any convenience store. If you go to the massive semi-annual Comic Market in Tokyo (attended by more than 190,000 participants daily over a period of three days), you will find that the single biggest-selling genre of all the self-published manga on sale is "boys' love" (which might be translated as "guy-on-guy action") ranging from steamy to barely legal. These are purchased, not by gay men, but by women, and many of them cheerfully refer to them as "okazu," which is a euphemism for material used for stimulation during (or immediately prior to) masturbation. So the phenomenon you describe may arise only in societies where both conservatives and progressives condemn visual pornography as something no self-respecting woman should want to look at. Here in Japan, the emphasis is less on "morality" and more on "discretion." People don't care what you do behind closed doors as long as the participants are consenting adults and no one gets hurt.

Matt Thorn: Here in Japan, the emphasis is less on "morality" and more on "discretion." People don't care what you do behind closed doors as long as the participants are consenting adults and no one gets hurt.

I hate to break it to you but that's actually the way it many places other than Japan. You can find numerous articles about how a fair number of women in societies with "both conservatives and progressives" (not so subtle but nice try) rent porn, go to strip clubs with their partners and avail themselves of prostitutes and how those numbers have been increasing over the years. There are numerous porn website which target women and even Best Erotica Awards which are given to porn aimed at a female audience.

I am not into cosplay but i prefer to see japanese women in sexy underwear. From the list i choose maid uniform

Ambrosia wrote:

You can find numerous articles about how a fair number of women in societies with "both conservatives and progressives" (not so subtle but nice try) rent porn, go to strip clubs with their partners and avail themselves of prostitutes and how those numbers have been increasing over the years. There are numerous porn website which target women and even Best Erotica Awards which are given to porn aimed at a female audience.

All true. What is harder to find, though, is hard numbers about, for example, how much of money paid for erotica is paid by women. In Japan, the market for digital manga in 2010 was about 40 to 50 billion yen (400 to 500 million dollars). Erotic manga for women account for a solid majority of all those digital manga. (http://diamond.jp/articles/-/7939--Sorry, Japanese only.) I study manga for a living, and I've talked to publishers and editors who tell me that erotic manga for women, both digital and paper, are big sellers. If the shelf space given over to them both in convenience stores and ordinary, "respectable" bookstores is any indicator, that's certainly true. There are even pornographic manga magazines specifically targeting teen girls, which would be illegal everywhere in the U.S. by definition. The phenomenon you note show that attitudes about women as consumers of erotica are changing in America and presumably elsewhere, but when it comes to women actually putting money down on the figurative or literal counter, I don't know of any country that can currently compete with Japan.

Men looking for Sailor uniforms are looking for underage girls to make sure the target is not grown up. Perverts and perverts. Bikinis will not satisfy their pervert mind as they are interested in only underage children,

Matt Thorn: The phenomenon you note show that attitudes about women as consumers of erotica are changing in America and presumably elsewhere, but when it comes to women actually putting money down on the figurative or literal counter, I don't know of any country that can currently compete with Japan.

Yes, I was addressing your point about how societies with "both conservatives and progressives" condemn visual pornography aimed at women. I am less concerned with hard numbers than your original point, which wasn't exactly correct. Japan may sell more porn aimed at women but that doesn't mean that it isn't popularly available in other places. And really, you can get so much free porn anonymously on the Internet that it would be rather difficult to come up hard figures anyway.

What would the Ladies like their men to wear?

I so don´t get this. I mean I have been here for half my life, but reading stuff like this stil makes me shake my head. School girl uniform the sexiest dress? Wtf?

But whatever floats their boat....

Bear27840: You got a good question. If there are female pervert, probably elementary schoold children;s uniform but I doubt very much of female perverts existence in Japan.

I was going through a new girlfriends knicker draw while she was out shopping and saw a police woman's uniform, a nurses uniform and a flight attendants uniform. I left before she got back. I thought who wants a girl like her that cannot hold a job down!!