Ask John: Why Do Anime Characters Wrap Themselves in Bandages?

Question:
Why is it in just about every anime I see featuring ninjas or samurai, they wear bandages? In Outlaw Star, Suzuka wore them around her chest, as well as Motoko from Love Hina. Samurai X and Ruroni Kenshin, Kenshin also wore them. And in Naruto, just about every character wears them.

Answer:
Based on the examples given, I’m presuming that this inquiry is primarily about bandages specifically wrapped around the abdomen or torso more than an inquiry about bandages anywhere or everywhere on the body. Characters with bandages have become increasingly popular following Rei Ayanami’s first injured appearance in the first episode of the 1995 Evangelion television series. Bandages about the body add distinctive visual characterization, implicating a degree of experience and painful past. Bandages wrapped around the torso, however, are something entirely different.

A long strip of white cotton bandage wrapped tightly around the waist or upper body is called “sarashi,” meaning “bleached cotton.” This particular fashion originated during the samurai era, when warriors wrapped their torso with cloth to absorb some of the impact of blows or, in a worst case scenario, provide an extra layer of protection from stab wounds. In present day, the sarashi is most commonly seen on people with a tendency to get involved in fights – particularly ninja, yakuza, and “bancho” (high school delinquent boss) characters.

The “haramaki” is a thick cloth stomach warmer. According to traditional Japanese belief, a cold stomach leads to catching colds, stomach aches, or diarrhea. Middle-aged manual laborers seen in anime often wear haramaki, for example, “Oyaji” from the recently concluded Moetan television series. The character that wears a haramaki whom most American viewers will be familiar with is Roronoa Zoro from One Piece. His dark green colored waistband is a haramaki.