View source for Happi

{{short description|Traditional tube-sleeved Japanese coat}}
{{About||the Bollywood film|Happi (film)}}
{{distinguish|Happy (disambiguation){{!}}Happy|Hapi (disambiguation){{!}}Hapi}}
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[[Image:Festival4.jpg|thumb|Women at a [[Japanese festivals|festival]] wearing a {{transliteration|ja|happi}}]]
[[File:2025年東流の水法被&締め込み姿.jpg|thumb|Men in [[Hakata Gion Yamakasa]] wearing a {{transliteration|ja|happi}}]]
[[File:Edward VIII with his staff wearing Happi 1922.jpg|thumbnail|Edward, [[Prince of Wales]] (centre), later [[Edward VIII]] of the United Kingdom, wearing a {{transliteration|ja|happi}}]]
A {{nihongo||法被/半被|'''happi'''}} is a traditional tube-sleeved [[Japan]]ese [[Coat (clothing)|coat]], usually worn only during [[Japanese festivals|festivals]]. {{transliteration|ja|Happi}} typically feature symbols and/or text on the lapels, with a larger design on the back of the coat, typically the name or the festival or the participating association; the [[kanji]] for ({{nihongo|'festival'|祭り|matsuri}}) may also be present.

Originally worn for display of the {{transliteration|ja|[[mon (emblem)|mon]]}}, or family emblem, {{transliteration|ja|happi}} were worn by [[house servant]]s as a uniform. [[Firefighter]]s also wore {{transliteration|ja|happi}} coats, with the crest on the back of the coat displaying the group with which they were associated;<ref>Drazen, Patrick. ''Anime explosion!: the what? why? & wow! of Japanese animation''. Stone Bridge Press, 2003. {{ISBN|1-880656-72-8}}. [https://books.google.com/books?id=wkrgvKvsvYAC&pg=PA322 Page 322]. "In time, these groups of fire-fighters, adopting uniforms consisting of the short jackets called ''happi'' emblazoned with the ''mon'' (crest) of the particular group, so that one gang could be distinguished from another."</ref> these were distinct from the {{transliteration|ja|[[hikeshi banten|hikeshi sashiko banten]]}} ({{lit|embroidered fireman's jacket}}) also worn by [[hikeshi|firefighters]], constructed from heavily-quilted cotton layers designed to hold a large quantity of water and thus protect the wearer. In the [[Edo period]], firefighters were paid not only for actual firefighting activity but also for promptness and presence at the scene of a fire. Thus, wearing conspicuous {{transliteration|ja|happi}} and dancing on intact roofs near fires with {{transliteration|ja|[[matoi]]}} was essential for them.{{cn|date=December 2021}}

In English, the term {{transliteration|ja|happi}} is most often translated as "happi coat" or "happy coat". {{transliteration|ja|Happi}} are typically blue, with designs in red, black, and white, though variations with a number of different colours are also seen in modern day Japan. Modern {{transliteration|ja|happi}} coats may be made of [[cotton]] or [[polyester]] fabrics.

==References==
{{Portal|Japan|Fashion}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Japanese clothing}}

[[Category:Japanese upper-body garments]]
[[Category:Japanese words and phrases]]


{{Japan-culture-stub}}