History Main / Sarashi

** The SequelSeries, ''TheLegendOfKorra,'' does this as well.

* ''{{Pokemon}}''-Croagunk wears one.

* Alanna the Lioness, from ''[[TortallUniverse The Song of the Lioness]]'', uses bandages to disguise herself as a boy while training as a knight, and eventually upgrades to a special corset. She is eventually found out by the court during a sword duel with the villain, who cuts through her shirt and the corset accidentally, exposing her to the entire court. He was quite surprised.

* According her her C-Support with a [[PlayerCharacter female Robin]], Say'ri from ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'' wears sarashi.

A ''sarashi'' is a long strip of cloth, usually thick cotton, wrapped tightly around the midriff up to the chest. Historically worn under kimono both by {{samurai}} (to resist injury) and by women (for more "obvious" reasons, particularly in eras when [[SuppressedMammaries a slim figure was considered fashionable]]), its samurai associations have made it a near-universal symbol of toughness in Japan.

* Junko Hattori from ''IchibanUshiroNoDaiMaou'' has both a Sarashi and a {{Fundoshi}}

** Ukyō Kuonji in wore one during her earlier appearances, but as she began to re-embrace her femininity it disappeared from her regular wardrobe.

* Back when Uotani, an accomplished delinquent, was still "in service" in ''FruitsBasket'', she learns that she's in the same school as the daughter of her role model, the Red Butterfly. She pictures the girl as wearing a school skirt, carrying a katana, and wearing a sarashi. In the next page, she meets the "daughter": it's [[TheIngenue Tohru]].

* Bandage-style wrappings seem to be a common fashion accessory in ''Manga/{{Naruto}}''. At least one character is seen wearing them Sarashi-style. Prior to the timeskip, Ino wears them from her knees at least up to her midriff.

** Simon's pre-{{timeskip}} default outfit shows one under his unbuttoned shirt. He also wears a leather one in the final arc.

* In ''WaratteSotomuraSan'', a girl asked Sotomura where to buy Sarashi under the assumption she was using one. Sotomura was so ashamed of the fact she had no need of Sarashi she played the SureLetsGoWithThat trope.
* OhEdoRocket: While sarashi are a given in an Edo period setting, only designated action hero Ginjiro's is visible.
* Erza Scarlet's "fight robes" in ''Manga/FairyTail''.

* Erza Scarlet's "fight robes" in ''FairyTail''.

* Asuka Kazama of the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}}'' series wears sarashi as part of her 'Yakuza Diceroller' special costume designed by Oh! Great in Tekken 5. In Tekken 6, one of the pieces of her alternate matsuri outfit is a pair of shorts made from cloth wraps.

** Careful, though. [[NightmareFuel It's possible to rip your nipples off that way.]]
*** Most of us know you use a reversed (sticky side away from flesh) layer to avoid this.
**** But then it sticks to your clothes.
**** Add another layer of tape to prevent that.

* ''Manga/{{Bleach}}''
** Part of Ichigo's ban-kai is this wrapping. Partially because of the badass look, partially because the first time he went bankai he was still recovering from several near death battles and three days of pummeling by the AnthropomorphicPersonification of his sword.
** Kenpachi wears one as well.
** So does Yoruichi, who also uses a sarashi as a bra.
** Soifon wears a ''gigantic'' one to help keep her in one place when [[{{BFG}} she uses her bankai.]]

Of course, if it's a female samurai[[note]]"onnabugaisha", which extends to all female warriors, is the proper term because "samurai" should only be used for males, as it was in the Sengoku Period[[/note]], a sarashi is pretty much a given.

* Goemon from ''Manga/LupinIII'' wears this.

While common in anime -- JapaneseDelinquents (particularly in classic, older series) will often be seen wearing one under their coat or unbuttoned shirt as a visible cue as to their general level of {{Badass}}ery -- this is a general Japanese cultural trope, often found in RealLife and applicable to women as well as to men. For female characters, however, a sarashi may also serve as an accessory to a [[CostumeInertia potentially boring outfit]], as an aid in {{crossdress|er}}ing, or simply as a way to prevent {{Gainaxing}}. In these cases the wrapping is pushed up a few inches to cover and flatten the chest ([[FanService usually]]), and the irony inherent in using such a traditional symbol of masculinity to accentuate or disguise femininity may be [[FetishFuel deliberately invoked.]]

* The {{Yakuza}} that [[spoiler: almost rape Sara Uchida]] in ''Manga/KaseiYakyoku'' wear this. It's also a pretty important detail, since [[spoiler: one of them had a [[HiddenWeapons a knife concealed in his's]]; Sara snatches it and turns the tables on them.]]

* The protagonist of ''Parrotfish'', Grady, wears one to make his chest appear flat because he is a FtM {{Transsexual}}.

* OhEdoRocket: While sarashi are a given in an Edo period setting, only Ginjiro's is visible

While common in anime -- JapaneseDelinquents (particularly in classic, older series) will often be seen wearing one under their coat or unbuttoned shirt as a visible cue as to their general level of {{Badass}}ery -- this is a general Japanese cultural trope, often found in RealLife and applicable to women as well as to men. For female characters, however, a sarashi may also serve as an accessory to a [[CostumeInertia potentially boring outfit]], as an aid in {{crossdress|er}}ing. In these cases the wrapping is pushed up a few inches to cover and flatten the chest ([[FanService usually]]), and the irony inherent in using such a traditional symbol of masculinity to accentuate or disguise femininity may be [[FetishFuel deliberately invoked.]]

* Anghel's human form has these big time in ''Videogame/{{Hatoful Boyfriend}}''.

While common in anime -- JapaneseDelinquents (particularly in classic, older series) will often be seen wearing one under their coat or unbuttoned shirt as a visible cue as to their general level of {{Badass}}ery -- this is a general Japanese cultural trope, often found in RealLife and applicable to women as well as to men. For female characters, however, a sarashi may also serve as an accessory to a [[CostumeInertia potentially boring outfit]], as an aid in {{crossdress|er}}ing, or simply as a means of breast support. In these cases the wrapping is pushed up a few inches to cover and flatten the chest ([[FanService usually]]), and the irony inherent in using such a traditional symbol of masculinity to accentuate or disguise femininity may be [[FetishFuel deliberately invoked.]]