In Japanese saru (Monkey, the current Asian Zodiac Year) can sound like "go away" and an old proverb has it that wearing lucky red underwear will make disease go away.
In China some think the animal year in which you were born brings bad luck every 12 years when it comes around again. It's thought that wearing red underwear will help to counteract the bad luck - but supposedly only if someone else in your family buys it for you.
Seibu department store in Tokyo began in September of last year by promoting 30 red underwear items in a special section. Wacoal, an underwear maker in Kyoto, added leg warmers and a thermal belly band to their lineup this season.
Gunze Ltd in Osaka, a maker of "comfortable" clothing, launched red briefs and other underclothes for their Year of the Monkey Lucky Underwear products while also going to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto to pray for health and longevity for their patrons.
So, what do you wear for good luck?
