For example in this [picture](https://japan.kantei.go.jp/content/000090624.jpg?w=360&s=300000) of Kishida’s cabinet, all the male politicians wear a tailcoat (not sure if this exactly is a tailcoat even). The suit divides in the front, and extends to quite a length at the sides. The pants are also coloured grey. Whenever these politicians go abroad however, they wear the regular suits, similar to their western counterparts, with black or dark blue pants.
But why is it that in Japan, especially for significant occasions, these tailcoats and grey pants are worn?
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/vx7coo/why_do_male_japanese_politicians_wear_a/
15 comments
Have you noticed how they’re big on traditions around here? This is one of them. They dress up for the cabinet photo op. I don’t know why. And it probably doesn’t matter.
It’s because the Japanese parliament is based on the British system and have adopted many of their traditions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_dress
This isn’t a Japanese dress style – but British.
They are wearing morning suits (also called morning dress), which is more formal than a lounge suit (the modern standard business suit). With a single button black jacket with sweeping split tail (called a morning coat), black waistcoat, white shirt, grey tie, and grey striped trousers (called formal trousers); when outdoors, morning dress could also include a top hat and white gloves. There’s a slightly less formal version with all grey trousers and jacket and for festive events you can wear different coloured waistcoats or coloured cravats instead of a tie.
In modern times, the morning suit is basically the smartest day dress available for men. In the UK, where suits originate from, morning dress is commonly worn at weddings and other formal events during the day, such as horse racing events. You may also see butlers wearing it, who tend to be dressed 1 grade smarter than guests. They originate from sporting dress as the single button morning coat with cutaway tail made for easier horse riding. More formal frock coats have basically disappeared.
They shouldn’t be worn for evening functions – then dinner suits (black tie/tuxedo) are correct or for smarter occasions, like state banquets, white tie/tails would be correct.
Is it me or their tailor-made expensive trousers are too long?
They want to look silly together? /Seriously get these people a tailor.
Tradition basically.
Japan loves its traditions.
And just like a surprisingly huge number of traditions in the west the traditions in Japan aren’t that old and just go back to the 19th century.
I’m a history geek but fashion history isn’t my area- some people are really passionate about this however so go over to r/history and ask and you may run into some of them.
Basically at the time of the Meiji restoration and Japan’s opening up to the west and trying to adopt many western traditions this was the standard fashionable suit for gentlemen of class, particularly in the UK from which Japan copied much of its parliamentary tradition.
In the west such a manner of dress has over the years been relegated to ever more formal occasions and these days its pretty much just worn in the fanciest and toffiest of circumstances, like a formal dinner with the Queen or Royal Ascot.
In Japan…egalitarianism hasn’t really took hold in the same way as in the west and this kind of suit has effectively came a bit of a uniform for politicians (Japan does love a uniform). Japan is much bigger on ceremony and ultra formal occasions than in the west so you see it a lot more often than you do elsewhere.
I don’t think there’s actually a formal rule that politicians must wear this – though others do correct me if I’m wrong- but the tradition is pretty firmly cemented that its the thing to do. In in a virtual one party conservative state that doesn’t look like changing.
Does Sakon Yamamoto do this too?
It’s [formalwear](https://kingandallen.co.uk/journal/2013/the-king-allen-guide-to-formalwear/), in particular morning dress. It can be worn to formal events any time up to late afternoon or **very** early evening. Evening formalwear would be black tie or white tie.
Feels like this since Meiji?
Cause it looks fucken sick
It’s tradition. I think it started as a gift to the Emperor of several British formal suits by the British ambassador.
Japan should be still following old ways
This is just the formal photo for the new cabinet. They don’t wear this usually. As others have said this is a morning coat from Britain
This is also a common style of suit for wedding rentals… unfortunately.