Trend Watch: Hot Fundoshi Underpants

13 Jun 2008 Category: Fashion, Japan

Trend Watch: Hot Fundoshi Underpants

For traditional Japanese men, fundoshi is THE underwear of choice at summer! We'll reveal you a bit about the currently popular traditional underpants movement! Photo by Wikipedia

Psst, fashion watch, fundoshi have become the hot shit in Japan recently! No wonder, since this Japanese tied underwear for men is being rediscovered for its comfort. Generally, we would associate fundoshi with traditional pants or the formal attire for Shinto festival. However nowadays, there are all kinds of fun variations for men and women — and its sales are soaring! PingMag will introduce to you a fine selection that still leaves modern-day Japanese in awe.

Written by Ayana
Translated by Natsumi Yamane

Heritage

During the Sengoku period, fundoshi used to be a piece of military clothing only worn by the samurai class, but since the Edo period, fundoshi also became widespread among commoners and various historical sources confirm that it established itself as the standard male tied underwear. With the wave of Westernisation after World War II, however, fundoshi gradually went out of fashion to be taken over by western underwear. Beware of the boxers invasion…

Religious rave! Men dressed in fundoshi at a Shinto festival in Kanda, Tokyo. Usually it’s underwear — but it turns into a formal attire on festive occasions.

Media Buzz

But! Since a TV programme reported that the Mitsukoshi department store was selling fundoshi as “Classic Pants” several years ago, the sales of fundoshi began to rocket. Apparently every year around June, Mitsukoshi’s fundoshi range at their men’s underwear department expands to go with the summer yukata season.

Mr. Kanagi from Mitsukoshi men’s underwear department in Ginza explains,
“We used to sell around 500 pieces every year, but since it got the media attention, the sales have doubled and we have already sold the same number in the first half of this year alone. The variety of colours and patterned designs have increased after it was shown on TV and we now even sell a line made from silk for people with delicate skin.
For the older customers who habitually wear fundoshi, the standard red or white ones are the most popular. However recently, younger customers started giving patterned fundoshi as a Valentine’s Day gift, as this underwear is basically one-size-fits-all and it can be worn by both men and women. Because it is comfortable to wear with no tightness of elastics or uncomfortable creases, ladies who prefer natural styles seem to find its wearability attractive.”

During the summer yukata season, many mannequin bodies wearing fundoshi can be found at the Mitsukoshi store.

Mitsukoshi’s original selection of classic fundoshi with a wide variety of colours.

Patterned classic fundoshi pants come in a slightly different packaging.

Variety

Note: Fundoshi comes in five or six prominent styles with different shapes and ways of tying and the “Ecchu Fundoshi” is the popular type that is commonly worn at festivals and other formal occasions.


An underwear cloth to be tied from “Edoten” online: This style is called the “Ecchu Fundoshi.”

Another product to be tied as underwear from online store “Edoten.”

Apart from specialist stores, fundoshi underwear is surely also available online where you can easily find some with modern designs. For example, the online store Edoten offers a wide selection of modernised and unique traditional pants.

After the Punk yukata, here come Nu Rave fundoshi from Edoten: A diverse selection of designs including Japanese sprites, kappa, white skulls on blue — and leopard prints!

A popular design of a carp print, also from “Edoten.”

Another fast-selling motif of a dragon, from “Edoten.”

Celebrity Gossip

Since actress Saya Takagi revealed on a TV programme in February that she habitually wore one, attention has also been focusing on the ladies’ fundoshi! At the online store Love Supplement, their sales increased tenfold, twentyfold, since they started selling ladies’ fundoshi under the name of “Pendre Shorts.” We asked Ms. Karukaya from Love Supplement about the buzz:

“These days, perhaps because of the influence of nature-oriented Saya Takagi, ‘Pendre Shorts’ made from natural fabric are popular. We have a line that is made using the highest quality organic cotton and they are one of our best-selling products.”

So, people have been also conscious of the materials that fundoshi is made from: At Love Supplement, they offer ladies’ fundoshi that use a special fabric called ferrite fibre sewn into it that emits far-infrared rays to improve the human body vibrations and relieve various of specifically womens’ health problems. Who knew!


From Love Supplement: A ladies’ fundoshi made from organic materials.

Also from Love Supplement: Another funky design printed with Ukiyo-e patterns.

From Love Supplement: Japanese cute little cherry blossoms resembling kimono patterns…

… and even a Hawaiian print! Summer! Also from Love Supplement.

Lastly: The How-to Knot

Briefly, we show you how to tie a fundoshi. No worries! Though it might look complicated at first, it’s actually quite easy. More help needed? Watch a clip over here. Photo courtesy of Love Supplement

Comfy Attractions


Those legs! A man in fundoshi at a festival in Kanda, Tokyo.

Now, once again, why has fundoshi become so popular? The greatest advantage is probably its comfort. With a fundoshi, there is no tightness that you would get from elasticised underpants and it almost feels as if you aren’t wearing it at all. That, no doubt, makes it comfortable to wear even during the oh so hot and humid Japanese summer. A fundoshi pant made from hemp is particularly breathable and dries fast so there is no need to keep many of them either. Also, as fundoshi is made simply by sewing a piece of cloth on to a string, more and more people are starting to make their own unique underwear. With the humidity already coming up this summer, let’s see if this boom will outlive the season.

Come on and give it a try! You’ll never wear something else once you tried a comfy fundoshi! Thanks to everyone who helped with this article.

30 Comments

  1. Plus, it just feels so good.

    Posted by: Tokyo Foodie on June 13th, 2008 at 7:41 pm

  2. Jokes Apart, it seems really comfortable!

    Posted by: nyuudo on June 13th, 2008 at 7:57 pm

  3. I would feel too vulnerable with that on!

    Posted by: Neil Duckett on June 13th, 2008 at 9:36 pm

  4. more pictures of models demonstrating!

    Posted by: selena on June 13th, 2008 at 10:59 pm

  5. disturbing..

    Posted by: akder on June 13th, 2008 at 11:20 pm

  6. Now I know what to get my male friends as presents the next time I visit Tokyo!

    Posted by: Aubrey Meneses on June 13th, 2008 at 11:33 pm

  7. looks comfortable lol

    Posted by: Tomek on June 14th, 2008 at 3:23 am

  8. none of these comments is from someone from Asia, right?
    … what would be a comment from some one from that continen about… rap musicians look? -”atakira! those americans like to wear XL clothes, look how their pants reveal their underwear! bankladong!!!”
    -_-’

    Posted by: clon on June 14th, 2008 at 4:19 am

  9. i have so many used pairs i collected.

    Posted by: tomoo on June 14th, 2008 at 2:43 pm

  10. i want some for when company comes over.

    Posted by: Zeno on June 14th, 2008 at 9:43 pm

  11. I would model a pair for the neighbors while I tan.

    Posted by: Connor on June 15th, 2008 at 11:05 am

  12. [...] http://pingmag.jp/2008/06/13/fundoshi/ [...]

    Posted by: Hot Fundoshi Underpants « Moustier-City on June 15th, 2008 at 4:37 pm

  13. Doesn’t it remind you of Futuramas Captain Zapp Brannigan?

    http://www.hakobastards.com/xkepax/myspace/ms-brannigan.png

    Posted by: Zappo on June 16th, 2008 at 2:44 am

  14. Great patterns and design on them, and they look pretty impressive at festival time. Personally I usually prefer my underwear pre-assembled, but never say never!

    Posted by: Andrei Sarusi on June 16th, 2008 at 2:58 am

  15. great!

    Posted by: kiplingdq on June 16th, 2008 at 6:55 pm

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    Posted by: NGT News: GasBuddy, Obama Ringtones, Teens Swayed by Mobile Ads on June 18th, 2008 at 9:19 am

  17. This type of undergarment is great as it ensures adequate air flow around my nether regions, thus improving my virility. Ladies.

    Posted by: Anonymous on June 19th, 2008 at 5:40 pm

  18. not being a traditionalist, i wear them. (female)

    Posted by: mick on June 19th, 2008 at 6:37 pm

  19. thanks guys

    Posted by: web tasarım on June 24th, 2008 at 8:20 pm

  20. as long as it’s not made of SILK, i’ll get a dozon!!

    Posted by: woohoo floater on July 3rd, 2008 at 5:54 pm

  21. I want one….but I don’t know if I’d be game enough to wear it anywhere apart from the privacy of my own home. Imagine wearing this downtown! Only in Japan…

    Posted by: Anonymous on July 4th, 2008 at 5:13 pm

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    Posted by: fundoshi on July 5th, 2008 at 6:00 pm

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    Posted by: Willamette Week | Thursday, August 28th, 2008 on August 29th, 2008 at 7:23 am

  25. They’re very comfortable. Once you try it you wont want to wear elastic-waist underwear, though the distinction here is that fundoshi actually isn’t underwear. Common misconception, it and loincloths in general are, in the respective cultures that wear them, considered a full outfit.

    I personally don’t like Ecchu style fundoshi though, I wear the rokushaku I made at home. I’ll have to make another out of better fabric though, and do some illustrations on the end. I cant stress enough how comfortable they are! (though, in light of what I said earlier, here in America, it would be seen as vulgar to wear just a fundoshi, so I do wear it as underwear…because I don’t fancy being picked up by the police.)

    Posted by: Anonymous on March 6th, 2009 at 4:09 am

  26. thanx for info seo dersleri

    Posted by: web tasarımı on July 22nd, 2009 at 12:37 pm

  27. for traditional Japanese men, fundoshi is THE underwear of choice at summer! I cant stress enough how comfortable they are! (though, in light of what I said earlier…

    Posted by: göğüs estetiği on August 20th, 2009 at 6:01 am

  28. thanks :)

    Posted by: osman on October 16th, 2009 at 8:34 am

  29. thanks :)

    Posted by: Soğutma Büyüsü on November 7th, 2009 at 7:43 pm

  30. japonlar turkleri cok seviyor abi

    Posted by: web tasrım on December 31st, 2009 at 5:07 am

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