Fundoshi

A fundoshi in practical application.

The fundoshi (Japanese: 褌 / ふんどし) is the traditional Japanese style of Loincloth. It is a single long piece of cloth wrapped into place and fastened by twisting and tucking alone. This versatile tying technique makes any suitable piece of cloth a potential fundoshi. A similar technique can also be used to wear cloth as a headband. Although historically worn by both men and women, if worn by women in modern fiction, it is almost always for fanservice.

Traditionally, the fundoshi was worn as a form of underwear. Its role as underwear has decreased in modern Japanese society, as more people wear Western-style underpants. The fundoshi still may be worn during traditional festivals, or as swimwear. In fiction, it will often be worn constantly to complete a Japanese set of Awesome Anachronistic Apparel.

A Sub-Trope of Loincloth. Compare Barely-There Swimwear, Sexy Sweater Girl, Sexy Soaked Shirt. Not to be confused with fujoshi or their male counterpart fudanshi.

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Examples:

Anime & Manga

• Matsuri of Ayakashi Triangle wears fundoshi, which we end up seeing a lot after he's turned female. His name is even a a pun on this, being a homophone for the matsuri (festivals) where people still wear them. According to a bonus page, it's considered part of the exorcist Ninja uniform, but Matsuri wears them even off the job because he's comfortable in them. He also lets Suzu know that his grandpa wears a red fundoshi. This doesn't seem to be as common as Matsuri assumes, as Soga lets him know he just wears boxers. Eventually, Matsuri's mother convinces him to switch to regular panties as a sort of mental endurance training—temporarily causing Matsuri to become less confident and even less coordinated.
• Baki the Grappler's Hanayama Kaoru is a Yakuza, and so a very traditional man. When he gets serious on a fight, he rips his clothes, shows his family's back tattoo and keeps on fighting. Wearing only a fundoshi.
• Black Clover: Worn by both Yami and Magna of the Black Bulls in order to emphasize their manliness. Magna wears his to the beach, while Yami wears one in combination with a happi during the Festival Episode. Fundoshi also seem to be Yami's underwear of choice.
• Bleach:
  • Pesche.
  • Ikkaku wears one in the "Bleach on the Beach" chapter.
  • Renji is wearing one with a flame pattern when he kicks Hanataro in the manga version of the Soul Society arc.
• In Cutey Honey, Danbei wears one for Fan Disservice.
• Junko's from Demon King Daimao is the first thing we see of her; she also wears a Sarashi.
• In Fairy Tail, Elfman wears one adorned with a character meaning "honorable man".
• Food Wars!:
  • One of Isshiki's standard outfits, the others being the Naked Apron, the Barely-There Swimwear and the Nice Suit.
  • Senzaemon Nakiri also wears one, but unlike Isshiki he wears it as underwear. He usually dresses in very traditional Japanese garb, so it sort of comes with the territory.
• Clain from Fractale, after being forced to change his dirty pants, reveals that it's his choice of underwear.
• In New Getter Robo, Musashibo Benkei wears one in his debut episode (but only that episode).
• Featured often in Gintama for comedic effect.
• Golden Kamuy: Many male characters (namely Sugimoto, Yoshitake, Kiroranke, and Tanigaki) wear these. Justified given the time period.
• In the Gokusen manga, Ooshima more or less forces Shin to participate in a festival where the men traditionally wear fundoshi, because it's major fetish for Kumiko.
• HeartCatch Pretty Cure!: Kumojaki wears one during the Beach Episode. A reeeaaaaaaaally long one.
• Kikuri of Hell Girl sports a pair of these. Though considering she looks to be about five years old at best (hard to tell with demons and all) it's definitely not for fanservice.
• In the manga K: Stray Dog Story, Kuroh fights a monster underwater wearing just a fundoshi. He loses, gets out of the water, and angsts attractively against a rock.
• In the anime of the otome game Kamigami no Asobi, Takeru Totsuka (a.k.a. the sea god Susanoo) wears one in the swimsuit episode (episode 3).
• In Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple, Shigure and Hayato prefer fundoshi to Western-style bathing suits. Shigure also wears a chest wrap for her upper body and finds a standard two-piece bathing suit to be indecent.
• Kyō Kara Ore Wa!! features it in a rather strange way: a character who tried to bully Mitsuhashi pre-series ended up bandaged in such a way it looked he was wearing a fundoshi over his head and nicknamed Fundoshi Mask as the start of Mitsuhashi completely ruining his life and forgetting about him.
• During a fight in a hot spring in the manga version of Love Hina, traditional Master Swordswoman Tsuruko Aoyama is shown to be wearing fundoshi; her younger sister and Hinata-sou resident Motoko is shown to wear regular white panties.
• Goemon from Lupin III. Particularly of note on missions involving swimming or diving; the rest of the Lupin gang will opt for wetsuits, but not the highly traditional Goemon.
• Blink and you'll miss it: Early in the second season of Mob Psycho 100 Shigeo's 'hardcore training montage' while running for class president includes a shot of him wearing a fundoshi while squaring off against a bear. It makes just as much sense in context.
• Played for squicky laughs in a One Piece filler set in Medieval Japan, where Nami is hit by a strange piece of cloth... revealed to be Franky's Fundoshi. Her reaction is priceless.
  • Worn frequently by the Manly Man daimyo Kozuki Oden, who hails from the land of Wano, which is based on feudal Japan. His normal attire is a very short kimono that showed off most of his legs. Later on, he is forced by his enemies to dance in nothing but his fundoshi in the streets of the Flower Capital in exchange for keeping hostages alive and as a means to humilate him.
• In the Ouran High School Host Club manga, Tamaki must wear one of these if his team loses the sports festival. They do. He does.
• In Sakigake!! Otokojuku, fundoshi are the only underwear permitted by school rules. Consequently, all the students wear them.
• Salary Man Kintaro has Kintaro's sorta boss Morinosuke Yamato strips to one in order to save him, after Kintaro saves a family from falling off a cliff.
• Another female example: Matabei Gotou from Samurai Girls wears this. In her case, it's definitely Fanservice... (She's not even wearing a skirt or anything over it!).
• Samurai Harem: Asu no Yoichi: Yoichi in his show's requisite Beach Episode.
• The manga version of Shigurui often depicts artwork of Fujiki and Irako in a fundoshi.
• SpaceDandy When Dandy went to the Planet Kayu to find the elusive Munagi, he wore a fundoshi throughout the episode!
• Yakitate!! Japan: To counteract Monica's bikini-clad attire, Suwabara ripped most of his clothes off except his underwear, which happens to be a fundoshi!
• When Yotsuba&! sees someone in a fundoshi at the town festival, she reacts as a five-year-old probably would: "BUTT!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! BUTT!!!"
• Salamander from You Are Being Summoned, Azazel wears nothing but a fundoshi. It's a Shout-Out to Yukio Mishima (of whom Salamander is a parody of) posing in fundoshi with a sword for a photoshoot.

Comic Books

• In the Gargoyles spin-off Gargoyles: Bad Guys, Yama is shown to wear a fundoshi while in stone sleep. It's also hinted from the clothing and equipment neatly laid out on the bed that he often wears an athletic cup.
• The Green Hornet: Year One. When conducting research for Kato's origin, writer Matt Wagner was surprised to discover that Japanese underwear of the period essentially consisted of - as he put it - 'banana hammocks'. A scene involving Japanese soldiers in fundoshi ended up in the comic.
• Wolverine: Issue #301: In amidst of chaos, Sabertooth mentions that the yakuza thugs are riding on crotch-rockets armed with chainsaws. What's strange is that the only piece of clothing that the yakuzas are wearing is a fundoshi.

Films — Animation

• Ashitaka from Princess Mononoke has a fundoshi as underwear.

Films — Live-Action

• In Gung Ho, the Japanese plant managers are shown swimming in a river wearing fundoshi. In a version bowdlerized for cable TV, these were digitally retouched to look more like conventional swimsuits when seen from behind.
• The film Hanzo the Razor, Hanzo would often strip down to his fundoshi before performing his "special interrogation" to an unfortunate victim.
  • In the sequel movie, Hanzo fought a group of ninjas with only a katana and a fundoshi.
• In the western movie Red Sun, Link Stewart takes Kuroda's clothes while he is bathing. During a heated conversation between the two, Kuroda is standing on cold ground with only his fundoshi wrapped around him.
• In Lady Ninja Kaede, several of the male characters are shown wearing fundoshi, which is appropriate for the Edo era. (Unlike the female characters who are shown Going Commando, or wearing completely anachronistic fishnet body stockings.)
• The Psychological thriller Onibaba, Hachi is shown with his fundoshi attire for the majority of the movie. This was done as a counterpoint to all the topless scenes.
• Seven Samurai when Kikuchiyo went to the riverbank to catch fish with only his fundoshi wrapped around his waist. Even when he is ready for battle, there would be glimpses of his fundoshi shown beneath his armor.
• In the movie Showdown in Little Tokyo, the fully tattooed Yakuza gang fought the protagonists Kenner and Murata with only a fundoshi. Even though the fight is set inside a private sento, you can't have the yakuza fight in the nude. So the yakuza gang wore a fundoshi while getting their butts kicked by the protagonists.

Live-Action TV

• One of the episodes in Abarenbo Shogun involves a samurai who doesn't know how to swim. Even though the Tokugawa Yoshimune is a shogun, he agreed the teach the samurai how to swim. Yoshimune can be seen with a fundoshi during the swimming scenes.
• In Kamen Rider Hibiki, the leather fundoshi was part of the Rider design. This was done to show the Oni motif.

Pro Wrestling

• Some Japanese professional wrestlers with sexual-charged gimmicks wear a thong or a fundoshi to emphasize it. Otoko Sakari, Manabu Murakami and Razor Ramon RG are examples.

Video Games

• BlazBlue's Bang Shishigami wears one beneath his outfit, it's the only clothing that survives his Astral Heat.
• The Player Character in Elden Ring wears a fundoshi (regardless of gender) when the legging equipment slot is empty. It's a bit bizarre given the setting is otherwise much more visibly European, and Dark Souls games used a loincloth or undershorts instead.
• Fundoshi is worn as swimwear and underwear by male Hoshidan characters in Fire Emblem Fates, to contrast with the Nohr men, who wear black trunks under their outfits. Ryoma even wears a special red Hoshidan-themed fundoshi in the game's Beach Episode.
• The Japan-only release of Full Metal Alchemist: Prince of the Dawn for the Wii featured a pool scene. To show contrast to Winry's swimsuit, Louis Armstrong did his signature muscle pose in a red fundoshi right in front of Edward Elric. Let's just say that Ed got a full dose of reality afterwards.
• Visiting all the hot springs in Ghost of Tsushima not only boosts Jin's max health, but gives the Fundoshi outfit that serves to make his steps silent. Gameplay and Story Segregation also allow him to be Exposed to the Elements when Act 3 has him in the northern part of the island where it's winter.
• At one point, the mobile game Granblue Fantasy featured Soriz, Eugen, and Jin in a fashionable fundoshi. Even their theme song Sanbagarasu Otoko Uta exude their manliness with only a piece of cloth wrapped around their waist.
  • Of course the manliness persona extends to the spinoff fighting game Granblue Fantasy Versus where Soriz unleashes his Skybound Art Muscle Ultimatum which sheds his clothes leaving only his fundoshi for the rest of the match. This will augment his special moves as well as overall damage.
• Guardians (1995): Tulks wears a fundoshi with his gun holster belt.
• There are a handful characters in Gyee who wear fundoshi on many occasions. For starters, guys who wear it for swimwear such as Bernard, Ranmaru, and Priapus. Also, there are those who wear fundoshi for festive purposes such as Alcander; or even both like the character Moon. Finally, there are individuals from the Atherland tribe like Kamui and Batur that also wear a fundoshi.
• Kai, the young male in Karin's Skin Diving Diary!, wears a fundoshi as swimwear. The problem Karin has with this is that Kai's fundoshi is so small and tight on him that Karin can see it practically hugging his naughty bits underneath. In a combination of Hypocritical Humor and Fanservice, Karin can happily earn her own fundoshi after helping Kai out with research on some caves, but this also means leaving her breasts completely exposed.
• In Kenka Banchō, you can find one hidden inside the women's bathhouse at a local inn. Plus, you can wear it!
• Mizoguchi's alternate costume in King of Fighters: Maximum Impact 2 Regulation A wears nothing but a fundoshi.
• One of Zafira's unlockable swimsuits in Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha A's Portable: The Gears of Destiny. The other one is an Old-Timey Bathing Suit.
• Marvel vs. Capcom 2: Jin's taunt and anti-air animation show he's not afraid to be traditional in more than one way.
  • Which leads to Street Fighter V when Ryu got Jin Saotome's costume. Knowing that Jin can strip himself into his underwear, it is possible to do a special code where Ryu only wears a fundoshi in battle.
• The Feudal Japan Like a Dragon spin-offs often depicts the main character in a fundoshi in various situations. It ranges from goofy minigames, sidequests to plot-related cutscenes.
  • In Ryū ga Gotoku Kenzan!, one of the sidequests requires Kiryu to reveal his musculature physique with only his fundoshi-clad attire in front of the NPC.
  • In Like a Dragon: Ishin!, Ryoma Sakamoto woke up inside a prison with his clothes stripped off leaving only a fundoshi wrapped around his loins.
• Monster Maulers: To emphasize the eccentric nature of the game, Kotetsu wears little more than a fundoshi.
• The hidden ending of Neo Contra involves an over-the-top action sequence with Jaguar. It ends with Jaguar "swimming" into the cosmos with his red fundoshi while Bill Rizer is holding the frontal flap of Jaguar's fundoshi.
• At the beginning of "Defeat the Shadow Ninja" in Ninjala, Kappei asks Van where his fundoshi has gone (localization refers to it simply as a loincloth), only to find Gumchi wearing it on his head.
• In Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom, some of the male inhabitants of Capstan-upon-Hull wear a fundoshi-like garment around their waists
• At a certain point of the game, William Adams from Ni Oh will ditch his European trunks in favor of the Japanese fundoshi. After all, he stayed in Japan for an extensive amount of time.
• The Ruan Brothers from Outlaws Of The Lost Dynasty are headswaps of each other. All sharing the same muscled physique with a rokushaku fundoshi as their base sprite.
• Persona 4 has a fundoshi as equipable armor. It doesn't appear on their in-game models. However, Shadow Kanji is clad in one when you first confront him.
• Whenever Ayin makes an appearance in a Psikyo game, seeing him in a fundoshi is not uncommon...
  • One of the endings in Sengoku Ace, involves Ayin and Tengai exhibit their muscular bodies with only their fundoshi to cover their loins. Surprisingly, Tengai was okay with it!
  • The Sega-Saturn version of Sengoku Blade, have the exclusive fortune-telling and the omake video. If you are lucky, you might get the official artwork of Ayin in his fundoshi.
  • In Strikers 1945, if you use Shinden as your ship and your performance is outstanding, you'll see Ayin in his loincloth in its full glory.
  • In Gunbird 2, as he turns bullets into flowers, Ayin twirls around with only his fundoshi around his waist.
  • Also, as Koyori from Sengoku Ace, Ayin is a Secret Character in one of H-Game Mahjong games Hot Taisen Gimmick. Being an erotic girl-only game, having Ayin in a fundushi is clearly Fan Disservice.
• Sugoroku from Samurai Shodown 6 wears a fundoshi under his blue happi coat.
• Shaz Aliart from Schwarzerblitz wears a fundoshi as an Alternate Costume. The Game's Developer, Andrea Demetrio, describes it as the most cursed costume nobody ever asked for. Though a certain section of the fanbase, including Ciao (Von Krukru) who made Fan Art of the costume that can be viewed on the game's gallery, would disagree.
• Shadow Hearts: Called Loin Guard, it's a recurring male-only accessory that "protects male spirit" and greatly raise attack power. Every game in the trilogy also features a roughly female counterpart to it: a frilly apron in first game, a charming pareo in Covenant and a belly warmer in From the New World..
  • Kurando's ultimate fusion, Shuten-Douji, wears a fundoshi as well.
  • Also, one of the stud cards features a muscular man wielding a katana and wearing a red fundoshi to encompass his Japanese nationality.
• Taking inspiration from Yukio Mishima, Gotou in Shin Megami Tensei I wears a fundoshi in battle.
  • Speaking of Shin Megami Tensei, several demons such as pre-Soul Hackers Loki and Soul Hacker design Take-Mikazuchi wear a fundoshi.
• Valentine from Skullgirls wears a pair. It's implied that she only wears them because she sits around all day, idolising Japanese culture and watching anime, and doesn't know that they're traditionally worn by men.
• As part of the Gangland style pack, Wei Shen from Sleeping Dogs (2012) wears a fundoshi to complement his Irezumi tattoos.
• Starting in Soul Calibur IV, the fundoshi is one of the recurring costume pieces for character creation.
  • With the advent of Clothing Damage, characters such as Mitsurugi and Yoshimitsu reveal their fundoshis whenever they take significant damage onto their lower extremities.
• Rowen from Tales of Xillia wears one with a beach robe for his swimwear costume.
• Tekken:
  • Heihachi's 1P costume from Tekken 4. Enough said....
  • Also shows up as his Alt costume in Playstation All Stars Battle Royale as a direct response to fan outcry that they wanted his old man appearance.
  • As one of the swimsuit pieces in Tekken Tag Tournament 2, most of the men can wear a fundoshi regardless of nationality.
• In Tengai Makyou IV: The Apocalypse, Zengo presents himself in a red fundoshi before he joins your party.
• Some of the characters wear them in Tokyo Afterschool Summoners especially Arsalan, as it's swimwear.
• As a consequence of fandom injokes, Rinnosuke from Touhou (particularly his counterpart Mannosuke) is often depicted wearing nothing but a fundoshi.
• In Virtua Fighter 5, Akira, Kage, and Lei Fei can put on a fundoshi as their swimsuit attire.
• Way of the Samurai:
  • Since it takes place in the pre-modern Japan, it is not uncommon to see the male NPCs wearing a fundoshi.
  • Also, in Way of the Samurai 3 and 4, you have the option to wear nothing but a fundoshi at the character selection screen.
• The characters in Xenoblade Chronicles X can wear a fundoshi as one of the costume pieces. However, the US/EU version edited the fundoshi to look like white shorts.

Visual Novels

• Avenger from Fate/hollow ataraxia is revealed to be wearing one in Chibichuki! Manga, which Caren uses in place of her Shroud of Magdalene.
• Juuichi's fundoshi scene during the camping arc of Morenatsu. Also, Tatsuki is sometimes seen outdoors in a fundoshi.

Western Animation

• Samurai Jack wears a fundoshi under his white kimono. Since Jack suffers Clothing Damage in half the episodes, he often ends up wearing nothing but it, to the delight of his female fans.

Real Life

• This is considered traditional in Japan so expect to see it at almost any culture festival that involves men with special outfits. Special manliness points go to Hokkaidō men who wear only this in the snow and the Kurama hi-matsuri (fire festival), where men do this while holding 20 foot long torches on their shoulders.
• Also a pride point for many Yakuza, who loudly proclaim their traditionalist ways. Anytime they pose for their elaborate back tattoos (irezumi), there is about a 99% chance that they will do it in fundoshi.

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