Fundoshi (ふんどし/褌) is a traditional Japaneseundergarment for males and females, made from a length ofcotton.
BeforeWorld War II, the fundoshi was the main form of underwear for Japanese men and women.[1] However, it fell out of use quickly after the war with the introduction of new underpants to the Japanese market, such asbriefs,boxer briefs andpanties.[2] Nowadays, the fundoshi is mainly used not as underwear but as festival (matsuri) clothing atHadaka Matsuri or, sometimes, as swimwear.[3]
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The fundoshi is first mentioned in the classic Japanese history text, theNihon Shoki. They are also depicted on clay figurines,haniwa. The fundoshi was the underwear of choice for all adults regardless of sex, wealth, or social status. This changed after theSecond World War, whenAmericanization popularized elasticized undergarments.[4] There are several types of fundoshi, includingrokushaku,kuroneko,mokko andetchū.[3]
Fundoshi are worn in several basic styles depending upon how they are wrapped around the body. The most relaxed type consists of a strip of cloth, wound around the hips, secured at the small of the back by knotting or twisting, with the excess brought forward between the legs, and tucked through the cloth belt in front to hang as anapron.
Therokushaku fundoshi (Japanese: 六尺ふんどし／六尺褌) is traditionally favored as activewear. Its name is derived from its traditional measurements of a cloth that is six ("roku")shaku (1.818 m (5 ft 11.6 in)) long and one shaku (30.3 cm (11.9 in)) wide. It is formed by winding the cloth around the hips, then bringing the excess length back between the legs to twist around the belt cloth at the back. The fundoshi is often twisted to create athong effect at the back. This was worn as the standard male bathing suit. Male children were often told to wear this kind of fundoshi because a boy in trouble could be easily lifted out of the water by the back cloth of his fundoshi.[3]
The third style, calledEtchū fundoshi (Japanese:越中褌), which originated in the vicinity ofToyama Prefecture, is a long rectangle of cloth with tapes at one narrow end.Etchū fundoshi is a length of cloth; however, it has a strip of material at the waist to form a fastening or string. The dimensions are 14 inches (360 mm) width by about 40 inches (1,000 mm) length, and it is tied with the material strip in front of the body. One ties the tapes around the hips, with the cloth at the small of the back, and then pulls the cloth between the legs and through the belt, letting the remainder hang as an apron. Suchfundoshi was issued to Japanese troops in World War II, and often were the sole garb ofAlliedPOWs in tropic areas.The best material for this is white linen or white cotton. Silk crepe may be used according to one's taste, but plain silk is not suitable. In winter it may be lined with similar material, but in other seasons it is always single. Both ends (or front and back) are hemmed to put cords through. One of the cords forms a loop to suspend the front end from the neck, and the other secures the back end by being tied in the front.[3]
There are many other varieties offundoshi as there are many variations on the principle of a loincloth. For example, themokko-fundoshi (literally "earth-basket loincloth" because it looks like the traditional baskets used in construction), is made like theEtchū-fundoshi but without a front apron; the cloth is secured to the belt to make a bikini effect. Thekuro-neko fundoshi (literally "black catfundoshi") is like themokko-fundoshi except that the portion that passes from front to back is tailored to create a thong effect.[5]Fundoshi are not typically worn as everyday clothing.Fundoshi is mainly worn on specific, traditional occasions, particularly when participating inHadaka Matsuri. During February, nearly 10,000 men will gather atSaidaiji Temple inOkayama wearing onlyfundoshi to participate in the festival in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year.[5]
Thesamurai worefundoshi as underwear witharmor, combined with ashitagi shirt.[5]Sumo wrestlers also wear a form of this garment, themawashi.[6]Fundoshi are often worn with ahanten orhappi (a short cotton jacket with straight sleeves) during summer festivals by men and women who carrymikoshi (portable shrines) inShinto processions. Outside Japan it is perhaps best known from the drumming groupsOndekoza andKodo, who appear dressed in only a whitefundoshi and a headband.Fundoshi is sometimes used as traditionalswimsuits. In some high schools, boys swim wearingfundoshi. Incumbent Emperor of JapanNaruhito also swam infundoshi in his childhood. In the pools and beaches of Japan,fundoshi-wearing swimmers occasionally can be seen, as in the case withama divers in the past.
In late 2008, the Japanese firm Wacoal began marketingfundoshi for women and have had greater than expected sales. The loincloths for women come in seven different colors and two designs—plain and chequered.[7]
The Japanese idiom"fundoshi o shimete kakaru" ('tighten your loincloth') means the same as the English phrase "roll up your sleeves" or even more accurately "gird up your loins"—in other words, get ready for some hard work.[1] The Japanese idiom"tanin no fundoshi" (literally, 'anyone else'sfundoshi') is often used in a cautionary context about borrowing or using tools or materials belonging to someone else, the meaning extended to that of profiting at another's expense or taking risks with someone else's money.
Definitions from Wiktionary
Media from Commons| Traditional |  | |
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