Japanese school hires guards after Armani uniform furore

The school has faced a storm of public and online criticism over its decision to adopt the designer uniforms from April

A Tokyo school that hit international headlines for introducing an Armani-branded uniform has been forced to hire security guards after several students faced harassment over the pricey kit.

Taimei Elementary School in Tokyo's wealthy Ginza district brought in professional guards this week after at least three of its pupils encountered abusive strangers who pulled their uniforms or asked if they were students of the school, a local district spokeswoman said. Japan boasts extremely safe streets, and guards are rarely seen at school grounds.

The school has faced a storm of public and online criticism over its decision to adopt the designer uniforms from April, with a full set costing parents around 80,000 yen (Rs 49,000). While the school says the new uniforms are not mandatory, critics said parents would feel compelled to buy them to ensure their children were not left out. The school administration reportedly said the outfits were a bid to tie the 150-year-old school to the upscale Ginza district where it is located.

Rs 49k
Cost of the designer uniforms

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