One thing we love a lot is anime episodes with Japanese school swimsuits, which are always pleasing to the eye. Let’s examine the history of Japan’s “school mizugi” (aka sukumizu) as seen through anime, and also study the history of actual school swimsuits in Japan!
It’s a very special time for us at J-List, because 30 years ago this week, we started the first anime and hentai shop selling to fans around the world. And we’ve been able to make it this far thanks to our wonderful customers. We’re celebrating with a huge 20% sale on all in-stock Japan products, through October 7th. Start browsing now!
What Is a Sukumizu? (Explaining Japanese School Swimsuits)
Sukumizu is short for スクール水着 (sukūru mizugi), the official “school swimsuit” that students in Japan wear in swimming class at school. For girls, it’s a tight, dark navy one-piece, usually with a name tag sewn on the chest, and everyone in Japan must wear them during swimming class. That’s why it became such a fixture in anime: everyone in Japan has worn one, and has a close connection to them. (And every boy has probably had a crush on a girl wearing one.)
In the years after WWII ended, Japan was rebuilding its ruined country. It was common for children to take school trips to different parts of the country. On May 11, 1955, the ferry Shiun Maru, carrying students on a school trip across the Seto Inland Sea, collided with a freighter in thick fog and sank within minutes. 168 people died, around 100 of them students. Very few of them had been able to swim.
The disaster shook the country and made swimming safety a core issue for educators. Schools began building pools, a push that increased as the 1964 Tokyo Olympics approached. Before long, swimming had become a core curriculum for all students in Japan. And since Japan loves to put their children in uniforms, the “school swimsuit” was born.
Why Did School Swimsuits Change?
The original school swimsuits, now called old-style sukumizu (旧スク水) had a unique design with a line across the crotch and a place for the student to write their name and class number, as in the clip above.
As the design evolved and — to be honest — the swimsuits started becoming sexualized in anime and hentai games, the design changed to be more modern. Today, school swimsuits are more like the clip above, lacking some of the features that made them so unique. Sadly, the classic school swimsuit design has basically become something you only see in otaku circles these days.
Read this next: Why do the Japanese call underwear “pantsu”?
The 8 Best School Swimsuits Seen in Anime
Let’s look at 8 of the best sexy school swimsuits appearing in anime!
Yoshika Miyafuji Was Defined By Her Sukumizu
In Strike Witches (it’s an anime about WWII, honest!), Yoshika has a tight-fitting school swimsuit on under her sailor uniform. Of course, the camera moves in for a close-up quite often.
Sukumizu and To Love-ru Darkness Go Hand-in-Hand
This classic school swimsuit design is perfect for fan service moments, and anime like To Love-ru Darkness made great use of them.
School Swimsuits Represent Youth
A school swimsuit represents youth and innocence and is often associated with young-looking “loli” characters. A joke we often see is, “A high school girl is still so flat-chested she can still fit into her school swimsuit from the sixth grade of elementary school.”
Sexy Swimsuit Shots To Thank Viewers for Buying the Blu-rays
You don’t think of Kaguya-sama as a fan service show, but they put a bonus episode on one of the Blu-rays to thank fans for faithfully buying all of the discs.
School Swimsuits as Fetishism
Several anime series draw heavily on the fetishization of the classic school swimsuit. This is Softenni! the Animation, an anime about the sport of soft tennis, as you can see.
Sukumizu are a Staple of Hentai, Naturally
It’s common to see school swimsuit characters in hentai anime, like the Eroge! hentai anime. It’s great to see a guy having sex with a girl wearing one of these sexy swimsuits.
Wish-Fulfillment with School Swimsuits?
What would you do if you had the power to stop time? Would you have some fun with girls wearing these swimsuits? That’s the premise of the Gakuen de Jikan yo Tomare! hentai anime.
Tsundere Inran Shoujo Sukumi
In a way, school swimsuits are like panties: the perfect article of clothing that gets the attention of viewers but is still something you can show on television.
Thanks for reading this blog post exploring the history of Japanese school swimsuits and the way they became a cornerstone of anime and hentai. When did you first discover sukumizu? Tell us in the comments below!
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It’s a very special time for us at J-List, because 30 years ago this week, we started the first anime and hentai shop selling to fans around the world. And we’ve been able to make it this far thanks to our wonderful customers. We’re celebrating with a huge 20% sale on all in-stock Japan products, through October 7th. Start browsing now!
