Japanese school faces criticism over Armani uniforms

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A public elementary school in Tokyo’s upscale Ginza district is facing heavy criticism after introducing pricey school uniforms designed by Italian luxury brand Armani for the coming semester.

Taimei Elementary School is just 200 meters away from Armani’s Japan head office.

Headmaster Toshitsugu Wada said in a letter to parents last November that the decision to adopt uniforms designed by Armani was to reflect school’s status as a “landmark” in Ginza district, Huffington Post Japan reported.

Taimei Elementary School is located in Ginza district. /Photo via the Taimei Elementary School official website

The local education board received five cases of complaints from parents about the new uniforms, with one asking, “Why Armani?”

Parents were triggered by the unaffordable price of the new uniforms, which are expected to cost more than 4,600 yuan (730 US dollars) for a set, according to Kyodo News.

“The uniforms may be adorable, but $730 seems excessive for children's everyday wear when they grow out of sizes so quickly,” a Twitter user commented.

Parents also worried that the expensive uniforms set a bad precedent for children.

“I’m worried that a wrong notion that something expensive is good and something cheap is bad could be imprinted on children,” one woman, whose child is set to start at the school in April, was quoted as saying by Huffington Post.

The Armani uniform includes a blazer, a shirt, a pair of pants, a hat and a pair of shoes. /AP Photo

Taimei Elementary School has not commented yet, but headmaster Wada posted a statement on the school’s official website promising to further explain the school’s new uniforms.

The issue was also brought up by a lawmaker who said the school had to consider the cost to parents at a meeting of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee on Thursday, BBC reported.

Finance Minister Taro Aso said the price seemed expensive for elementary school uniforms, and Education Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said that the school should have discussed the matter with parents before making the decision, news outlet NHK reported.

According to the school website, Taimei Elementary School is 140 years old and is the only school remaining in the Ginza district.