In the late 1980s thong swimwear, similar in shape to fundoshi, was introduced to Japan from Europe and the United States, and became most popular among both women and men at the time of the bubble boom.
1980年代末頃（平成元年頃）から、褌に形の似たTバック水着が欧米から伝わり、バブル景気に男女とも最も流行した。