A school in Tokyo that hit international headlines for introducing an Armani-branded uniform has been forced to hire security guards after several students were harassed over the expensive kit.

Taimei primary school, in the wealthy Ginza district, brought in professional guards this week after at least three of its pupils encountered abusive strangers who pulled their uniforms or asked if they attended the school, a local district spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse.

Japan’s streets are extremely safe, and guards are rarely seen at schools.

“Security guards are patrolling area streets that pupils use in the morning and when they go home,” the spokeswoman said on condition of anonymity. “This is about student safety.”

The school faced public and online criticism over its decision to adopt the designer uniforms from April, with a full set costing parents around 80,000 yen (£550).

While the school says the new uniforms are not mandatory, critics said parents would feel compelled to buy them to ensure their children were not left out.

Since the decision was publicised, at least one pupil had been confronted by an adult who pulled the child’s uniform, and said: “Is this Armani?”, the spokeswoman said. In two other cases, strangers asked pupils if they were from the school.

The school administration reportedly said the outfits were an attempt to tie the 150-year-old school to the Ginza district. It features sharply tailored blazers as well as add-ons, such as bags, that can push the total cost to around 90,000 yen, a price critics said was too expensive for uniforms for fast-growing children.