School administrators in Japan have banned female students from wearing their hair in ponytails because they believe the ‘nape of their necks’ could ‘sexually excite’ male students. ‘They’re worried boys will look at girls, which is similar to the reasoning behind upholding a white-only underwear color rule. I’ve always criticized these rules, but because there’s such a lack of criticism and it’s become so normalized, students have no choice but to accept them’, former middle school teacher Motoki Sugiyama told Vice World News.
Sugiyama explains that if students see the two-block (undercut) as okay, they may also think the mohawk is okay. He added that many schools ignore notices that have no legal force or penalties attached to them. In Japan, schools have strict rules regarding hair colour, accessories, make-up, and uniforms, including the length of girls’ skirts.
Tokyo high schools ask many students with hair that is wavy or not black to submit certificates confirming that their hair is not artificially altered, reports NHK. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government runs 177 high schools, of which 79 require parents to sign these certificates. According to NHK, hair certificates are not compulsory in Tokyo. Only five of the 79 schools make it clear in writing that students aren’t required to submit them, according to the broadcaster.
In June last year, the Japanese government requested that all prefectural boards of education review draconian school rules following an outcry from students and parents. It was in the 1870s that the Japanese government introduced increasingly restrictive regulations for schools in an effort to reduce bullying and violence. It is known as buraku kosoku or ‘black rules’.
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