Japan schools move to ban ponytails fearing they might ‘sexually excite’ men

Japanese schools have banned female students from wearing their hair in ponytails as they fear 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,” former middle school teacher Motoki Sugiyama told Vice World News.

“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.”

Japan’s schools have strict rules about hair color, accessories, make-up, and uniforms, including underwear and the length of skirts and socks.

Nearly half of the high schools in Tokyo ask students with hair that is wavy or not black to produce certificates confirming that it is natural and not artificially altered, NHK reported. Out of the 177 high schools run by the Tokyo Metropolitan government, 79 ask for parents to provide these certificates.

According to Vice, a 2020 survey showed that in the Fukuoka prefecture of the country, one in 10 schools banned the up-do.

Sugiyama taught in the prefecture of Shizuoka for 11 years in five different schools, which all outlawed ponytails. Since he felt the gendered rules were sexist and discouraged students’ self-expression, he attempted to liberate the children subjected to those “unreasonable demands.”

The regulations, which are known as buraku kōsoku or “black rules,” have roots dating back to the 1870s when the Japanese government first established a regulated system of education, according to Vice.

Not all Japanese schools are clamping down as seriously on students’ appearances. Hosoyamada Junior High School, in the prefecture of Kagoshima, modified its dress code after students complained last year, a spokesperson for the school told Vice.

While ponytails and pigtails are still not allowed, there are more liberal rules on underwear, it can be black, gray or navy blue.