Forcible Hair Dyeing

Recently, in Japan, there has been much pushback on the practice of forcible hair dying, where students in Japan feel pressured (and are sometimes fully required) to dye their brown hair black, in the context of attending certain schools. Students are also often required to submit "natural hair color certificates." Apparently, 60% of public schools in Japan require students to submit these natural hair color certificates, describing the natural color of the hair as well as the texture (curliness, etc), as hair dye (seemingly of any color other than black) is banned in schools, and they want to confirm students aren't dying their hair. Even after submitting these certificates, many students are still pushed towards hair dye if their hair isn't naturally black. This issue starts as early as middle school, but is often focused in high schools, with 1 in 13 students being urged to dye their hair black in over 80% of schools, according to a Pantene survey run in Japan. There are also reports of students - both boys and girls - being subjected to haircuts from their teachers when they determined that their hair was "too long" during dress code checks (https://soranews24.com/2018/02/10/japanese-high-school-teachers-forcibly-cut-hair-of-44-students-that-was-too-long/). 

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7060877/Thousands-sign-petition-end-draconian-practice-forcing-Japanese-pupils-dye-hair.html

Students started a change.org petition to combat this, with the title #What's Wrong with my Hair? Stop telling students to dye their hair black," riffing on the aforementioned viral Pantene campaign and program to start conversation around the issue. This petition also highlights that this issue extends to biracial children, and and asserts that requiring hair color certificates as well as forcible dying are forms of discrimination. 

In 2017, a girl living in Osaka sued her school after she was required to dye her brown hair black, which really shed light on the issue and generated much outrage internationally, as well as within Japan amidst others who had experienced the same. She sued for 2.2 million yen ($19,350), citing emotional damage as one of the reasons for her lawsuit. This wasn't just casual dye either - she was asked to dye her hair so frequently (at a certain point, once every four days - an absolutely insane and very unhealthy amount) that she suffered scalp rashes and other physical side effects (https://www.forbes.com/sites/adelsteinjake/2017/10/30/a-japanese-school-is-actually-making-some-students-dye-their-hair-and-its-led-to-a-lawsuit/#169fe81240c5). She was frequently barred from school field trips and other activities by the school, and she ended up dropping out in her third year (https://www.nippon.com/en/currents/d00414/new-organization-takes-on-unreasonable-rules-in-japan%E2%80%99s-schools.html). A representative from the school was also quoted as saying that even if a blonde foreign exchange student was attending the school, they would be required to dye their hair black. 

Based on the information gathered by an organization looking to enact change and trace the origins of such harsh school regulations, school children in the 70s and 80s experienced particularly regulated, disciplined school environments. After, there was a period of greater freedom, but now things have become much harsher again - begging the question if those in power now are pulling leadership ideas from their own, much more regimented schoolings (ibid), fueled by a desire for a version of Japanese society that no longer exists. 

This issue has been extremely contentious in Japan. Many administrators do not see these regulations as an infringement of privacy and or an inappropriate act, but many teachers and students feel differently. One justification of the rules was given as being preparation for when students enter the workforce and must conform, but many students have never heard any sort of justification for the rules. These regulations focused around returning hair to the standard "black Japanese color" seem completely in contrast with the actual Japanese population, many of whom have naturally brown hair, and an increasingly global society. This forced homogeneity is supported by those in an older, much more insular generation, but the younger generations (and many others in Japan) are not standing for it. This issue has unified many in Japan that have faced discrimination in schools over hair color and other forms of bulling - young, old, male, female. Students are taking action and speaking up, showcasing a shift towards greater inclusivity and individualism. These students value their independence and want to be able to express themselves - or, at the very least, exist peacefully without being forced to look like someone they aren't.