Underwear was , however , not commonly worn in Japan until after WWII despite the government 's attempts to impose Western standards . The disastrous 1923 earthquake in Tokyo was widely used as a pretext to enforce them , as government propaganda claimed that many women perished because they were afraid to jump or climb out of ruined or burning buildings due to their kimonos flying open and exposing their privates . In reality , it had more to do with lack of proper building standards and traditional Japanese homes being constructed with flammable paper and wood ; moreover , there was no evidence that women were concerned about accidentally exposing themselves , especially since the majority of Japanese at this time still wore traditional outfits with no undergarments
1923 earthquake
1923 Great Kantō earthquake
History of nudity