Standardized school uniforms are spreading across Japan as a solution to reduce the financial burden of uniform costs on parents.
Local governments in Japan are expanding the adoption of unified standard school uniforms, Japanese media outlet AERA reported Wednesday.
The average price of school uniforms in Japan currently stands at approximately 40,000 yen ($260), with many exceeding 50,000 yen ($330). This represents a roughly 20 percent increase compared to 2016.
In response, three municipalities in Fukuoka Prefecture—Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, and Okawa City—introduced standardized uniforms in 2020. The number of schools adopting the system has steadily grown, with 237 of the nation's 556 public junior high schools now operating under this model as of 2025.
The key advantage of standardized uniforms is that multiple manufacturers can participate in production, enabling price competition. Previously, each school had different designs, creating a structure where specific companies monopolized production.
However, critics point out that standardization does not necessarily lead to lower prices. In areas with fewer students, limited production volumes reduce cost-saving effects. In Kamagaya City, which unified its junior high school uniforms last year, a local retailer explained that "even with all incoming students combined, the number is only about 800, so manufacturing costs haven't changed significantly."
Nevertheless, standardization receives positive reviews for facilitating reuse. The Kamagaya City Social Welfare Council collects used uniforms and provides them free of charge to families in need. The introduction of unisex blazers is also expected to increase the pool of reusable uniforms.
South Korea is also grappling with school uniform prices as a pressing issue. According to an analysis of 5,155 middle and high schools nationwide by Jongno Academy based on School Info disclosure data, high school uniform prices varied by up to 870,000 won ($580) depending on the school.
The most expensive was an autonomous private high school in Gangwon Province at 948,500 won ($630), while the cheapest was a general high school in Seoul at just 74,000 won ($49). President Lee Jae-myung recently noted that "school uniform purchase costs are approaching 600,000 won," ordering measures to address the issue. The Ministry of Education has launched a comprehensive survey on uniform purchasing practices.