June 1st is the day of “Kariyushi” wear.

“Kariyushi” is an Okinawan word meaning “harmony” or “happiness.” It has also come to mean a style of shirts, worn both men and women that were originally created on Okinawa to be worn in both casual and formal occasions during the long, hot and humid summer months of the islands.

Okinawa Prefecture has actively promoted wearing Kariyushi shirts for use in offices and business in place of the formerly used ties and white dress shirts. They were first used only in the summertime, but these days many people use them almost year round. They first became common as uniforms in hotels, banks and shops.

In 2005, the nation-wide Cool Biz campaign promoted by the national Government, prompted members of Okinawa Prefectural Government to start using them, and since then it has become a rare sight to see the Okinawa Governor, for example, to wear suit and tie on most occasions. In June, Japan nationwide changes to summer clothing from winter wear. In Okinawa, it’s been decided that June 1^st is the Day of Kariyushi Wear.

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