Japan is quite an interesting country but could be really stressful if you’re a student.
Bizarre school rules are nothing new. However, some odd Japanese rules might lead you to ask: “Are these rules really necessary?”
These rules are known as “black” rules. Similar to “black companies,” or organizations that have absolutely no concern with the well-being of the individuals working in the company, these rules have little regard for the students they impact.
According to a survey that was conducted last March by the non-profit organization Burakku Kosoku wo Nakuso! (Let’s Eliminate “Black” School Rules!), it was revealed that one-half of high schoolers and two-thirds of middle schoolers in Japan have experienced some form of “black” school rules. These are just some of the many:
“Students can only wear certain colors of underwear.”
“Students are not allowed to have ponytails.”
“Students are only allowed three sneezes in class.”
“Students must get permission from a teacher to cut their hair over summer vacation.”
“Male and female students must have two meters (6.5 feet) of distance between them.”
“Students are not allowed to wear scarves during exams.”
Previously, we shared this story of a Japanese girl who sued her school for forcing her to dye her hair black, despite her natural brown hair color. The trial happened back on October 27, 2017, in the Osaka District Court. The reason for the school’s rule was so that the student would conform to the school’s dress code.
Based on her testimony, she was forced to dye her hair black in junior high even though she didn’t like it. What’s worse is that she was prohibited from attending field trips and school festivals because of her natural brown hair color.
At one time, one of her teachers told her, “If you’re not going to dye your hair black then you don’t need to come to school.” Due to this statement, she never went back to the campus again. In April, the school told parents and students that she was expelled and they officially removed her name and records as if she never really studied at the school.
After this incident, the NPO Burakku Kosoku wo Nakuso! was established in order to bring light to the injustice students who are affected by these odd Japanese rules face.
According to the survey, Japanese netizens have a lot of things to say about these types of rules:
“That’s just school faculty being stupid.”
“If there are too many strict rules, that will just result in less of them being followed.”
“When I was on my period during school, they wouldn’t let me take a break during gym class and forced me to run around campus.”
“We had fingernail inspections and they made us cut off any white sections.”
“Coats were forbidden at my school, even on days so cold the trains stopped.”
“For the sneezing thing, I guess you could just hold them all in for one giant sneeze?”
“I’ve sneezed 10 times in one minute before. I’d get in so much trouble.”
It’s about time that higher authorities look into these Japanese institutions, since these odd Japanese rules don’t help the students. Their strict implementation can also affect the student’s overall study performance.
Source: Hachima Kiko, Yahoo! News Japan, SoraNews24
