With the establishment conscription in the Meiji period, ecchu fundoshi, which were easier to put on and take off and more economical due to their shorter length, were supplied by the army and spread throughout Japan, following which rokushaku fundoshi were more often worn during rites and festivals or as swimwear than as underwear.
明治時代に徴兵制度が制定されて、軍隊で着脱が容易で、生地が短く経済的な越中褌が支給され、全国に普及したことから、その後の六尺褌は下着で用いられるよりも祭事や水着等で用いられるようになった。