Happi 1007391 158947730 2007-09-19T13:47:58Z Absinthe88 2774292 [[Image:Festival4.jpg|thumb|Women at a [[matsuri]] wearing a happi]] '''Happi''' (法被, 半被) is a traditional [[Japan]]ese straight-sleeved [[coat]] usually made of [[indigo]] or brown [[cotton]] and imprinted with a distinctive [[mon (crest)|mon]] (crest). Originally, these represented the crest of a family, as happi were worn by house servants. Later, happi commonly began to display the crests of shops and organisations. Also, formerly, [[firefighter]]s wore happi and the symbol on their backs referred to the group with which they were associated. In the [[Edo period]], firefighters were paid not for actual firefighting activity but instead for promptness and presence at the scene of a fire. Thus, wearing conspicuous happi and dancing on intact roofs near fires with [[matoi]] was essential for them. In English, "happi" is most often translated as "happi coat" or "happy coat". [[Category:Japanese clothing]] {{Japan-stub}} [[de:Happi]] [[eo:Happi]] [[it:Happi]] [[ja:法被]]