A People who wear uniforms at work such as the police, salesclerks at department stores, railroad personnel, women office workers, and students who are required to wear school uniforms, all change to summer clothes on June 1. On October 1, they all change back to winter clothes. Of course, there is no law that requires this change to take place.

The Japanese have developed a mutual feel for the seasons living in a country with distinct changes in seasons. From old, it has been a custom to change to a different set of clothing at each new phase of the season.

There is even a term, koromogae, or "to change to a different set of clothing at the turn of the seasons" to describe this change. People in the Edo period ( 1600-1868) changed to summer kimono on April 1 and to winter kimono on October I, the same day as the present. A vestige of this custom still prevails today.

Uniforms are a necessary indicator of the status of the group carrying out their work in society. The group's function will be obscured unless the take a place at the same time by everyone.

One hears of students who have studied abroad and are used to dressing as they please.They go to school wearing summer clothes even before the designated date because of the heat and becoming the target of bullying. This may perhaps be one example of cultural friction.