Clothing
Japanese Living

for further reading: Wikipedia

There are many different garments that are found exclusively in Japan that Western readers may be unfamiliar with. Because of Ranma 1/2's Chinese influences, there are also numerous Chinese styles of clothing that also appear.

Relevance to Ranma 1/2

Here are some of the unique non-Western garments featured in the series...

•Hakama- Kuno wears hakama which are loose trousers tied over a kimono or haori. These are so loose that they can be mistaken for a skirt (pictured above).

•Kimono- A kimono is a traditional robe-like garment worn by both men and women. Women's kimonos tend to be more colorful. They are often worn on special occasions such as New Year's Day celebrations and at other festivals.

•Martial Arts Gi- The preferred clothing of Soun and Genma, a martial arts gi consists of a top which is wrapped across the opposite side and tied together.

•Chinese clothes- Ranma is almost always seen wearing Chinese style clothing. Usually when he has some important occasion he wears his "Chairman Mao" outfit, which is made up of a green shirt, pants and hat with a red star on them. However Ranma's typical shirt is what is known as a "Tangzhuang" (唐裝) literally a "Chinese suit". The shirt is characterized by its "mandarin collar" and "frog buttons". The shirt had its origins in the Manchu people's "horse jacket" (called a Magua).