In Japan, more and more schools are choosing to implement “gender-neutral” swimwear in their swimming lessons, in an effort to reduce resistance to wearing swimsuits and encourage greater participation among students. The move, which follows a trend of allowing students to choose their school uniforms regardless of gender, was adopted by Musashino Municipal Middle School Number Five in Tokyo.

Starting this school year, the school introduced shared swimwear options for both genders, allowing students to choose from different styles including long-sleeved tops and shorts. The goal is to address students’ concerns about body exposure and provide a comfortable and adaptable option for everyone.

Physical education teacher Naoki Abe (阿部直樹), 47, explained that the initiative came about as a result of a search for more inclusive options, especially after noticing an increase in the number of students who prefer to wear pants instead of skirts in their school uniforms. Abe commented: “Some students have expressed concerns about traditional swimwear due to body exposure or difficulty choosing based on gender. We hope that by expanding the options, more students will actively participate in class.».

The design for the new swimsuits, known as “common separates,” was developed by the company Footmark in response to inquiries from stores about students with gender-related concerns. These suits are designed to minimize visible physical differences, with a looser fit in areas such as the chest and waist, and are made with greater coverage and water-resistant fabric for added comfort.

The uptake of these swimsuits has been remarkable, with adoption expected to increase to more than 400 schools by fiscal year 2024, predominantly in urban areas such as Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. Genki Kimura (木村元気), 46, a sales manager at Footmark, noted that many students, including boys, responded positively to the new options, which contributed to more active participation in swimming lessons.

• «Nowadays, it is foolish to expose oneself to direct sunlight in the summer, both for children and adults. Before talking about gender neutrality, we should focus on this issue».
• «I'm a man, but I've always felt uncomfortable wearing a swimsuit because I'm prone to atopic dermatitis. I wish something like this had existed back in my day.».
• «Nowadays, without a sun protection shirt in an outdoor pool, you would get sunburned and suffer from heat stroke.».
• «My son is also a little chubby and worries about his belly, so he always wants to wear a sun protection shirt to swimming lessons. It's a great option to prevent injuries and sunburn.».
• «Separate swimsuits are easy to put on, prevent sunburn, and avoid the embarrassment of showing skin—all advantages. Some schools don’t allow sunscreen because it makes the water dirty, so this is a great alternative. They should allow indoor pools for clubs that require competition swimwear.».
• «I prefer Bermuda shorts. The shape of tight swimsuits bothered me a lot.».
• «It’s so hot that teachers can’t even go into the school pool without a sun-protective shirt. Overall, the gender-neutral option seems to be satisfying elementary school students without complaints.».

Source: Hachima Kikou