学(がく)ラン

がくらん

noun

traditional boys' school uniform with stand-up collar

1. traditional boys' school uniform with stand-up collar

A black, military-style uniform with a stand-up collar (Prussian collar) and brass buttons, traditionally worn by male students in Japanese middle and high schools. Still used at many schools today.

学(がく)ランを着(き)た男子(だんし)。

A boy wearing a gakuran uniform.

うちの中学校(ちゅうがっこう)の制服(せいふく)は学(がく)ランだった。

The uniform at my middle school was a gakuran.

最近(さいきん)はブレザーの学校(がっこう)が増(ふ)えて、学(がく)ランは少(すく)なくなった。

Recently, schools with blazers have increased and gakuran uniforms have become less common.

学(がく)ラン comes from 学(がく) (学生(がくせい), student) + ラン, Edo-period slang for Western clothing, from ランダ (オランダ, Holland).

The 学(がく)ラン is characterized by:

詰(つ)め襟(えり) (stand-up collar)
黒(くろ) or 紺(こん) color
金(きん)ボタン (brass buttons)

The female counterpart is the セーラー服(ふく) (sailor uniform). Both are iconic symbols of Japanese school life, though many schools have switched to ブレザー (blazer) style uniforms.

general

Added 2026.3.22 9:41 · Revised 2026.10.17 9:28

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