"Only Wear White Underwear" Japanese School Rule Controversy Rekindled... WP Calls It "Meaningless and Cruel"

Japanese high school students are touring Gyeongbokgung Palace. The photo is unrelated to specific expressions in the article. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jumi Lee] A debate has reignited in Japan over school rules that force students to have black hair and wear white underwear.

On the 14th (local time), the Washington Post (WP) reported that controversy has flared up again over school rules in Japan that require students to wear white underwear, have black hair, or prohibit dating the opposite sex.

These so-called "Black Rules" (rules that should be abolished), which have been problematic in the past, came back into the spotlight after a woman attending a public high school in Osaka filed a lawsuit regarding the school's hair regulations.

The woman, who was born with brown hair, was instructed to dye her hair black. When she refused, she was barred from attending classes on the grounds that her hair was "not black enough." She subsequently stopped attending school and was expelled. The woman filed a damages lawsuit against the school, claiming she was bullied under the pretext of student guidance.

Last month, an Osaka court ruled that the school must pay the student approximately 3.3 million won in compensation. The court recognized the significant mental distress caused by her expulsion for not dyeing her hair black.

However, at the same time, the court judged that there was no problem with the school rules themselves. The school has the legal right to establish such rules.

The school also announced at a press conference after the ruling that it would not change the hair regulation policy.

WP reported that "academics and civic groups are criticizing frontline schools in Japan for enforcing meaningless, cruel, and divisive rules."

According to Japanese media, nearly half of the high schools in Tokyo require students who do not have naturally straight or black hair to submit documents proving their natural hair color.

Among 238 public schools in Nagasaki, more than 60% had rules mandating "white underwear." In Fukuoka, 57 out of 69 schools were found to regulate underwear color. Some schools reportedly even required students to remove their underwear if they violated the rules.

WP noted that voices calling for the abolition of these Black Rules have been steadily growing.

Kayoko Oshima, a law professor at Doshisha University in Japan, pointed out, "There are students who are hurt or lose their pride because of these rules. Some are even ostracized by classmates if they do not comply."

She added, "In Japan, there is a perception that standing out in appearance makes one a target or subject to bullying," expressing concern that "in this process, the creativity of young people is being destroyed."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.