Japanese Schools Ban Ponytails, Claim It ‘Sexually Excites’ Men. Why Are All The Rules For Women?

Japanese Schools Ban Ponytails, Claim It ‘Sexually Excites’ Men. Why Are All The Rules For Women?

For years women have been oppressed and shamed for no reason at all. Victim shaming is nothing new in our society. Time and again women have been blamed for getting molested, sexually assaulted and raped. Their choice of clothing, their relationship with the accused, their character, everything has been questioned. Women have been sexualised for wearing their choice of clothing, putting on makeup, wearing their hair a certain way and whatnot. And all this begins from the school itself. The evidence in question is Japanese schools. Known for enforcing some truly absurd rules for female students, Japanese schools now have a new rule prohibiting students from wearing their hair in ponytails. Yes, you read that right.

Recently, schools have banned female students from wearing ponytails as it exposes the nape of their neck which could ‘sexually excite’ male students. Yepp, you read that right. In a conversation with VICE World News, a former middle school teacher, Motoki Sugiyama shared that the school administrators informed him that girls should not wear their hair in ponytails as it can sexually excite the male students. He said that the reason behind this rule was the same as the reasoning behind their ‘white-only underwear colour rule’.

For the unversed, Japanese schools had previously made a rule banning female students from wearing underwear of any other colour apart from white. This rule was to make sure that girls don’t wear colourful undergarments that will be seen through their uniforms. Speaking to VICE, the middle school teacher shared that he has always criticized such rules but there is a ‘lack of criticism’ due to which such bizarre rules have now been normalised forcing the students to simply accept the rules.

According to VICE, a survey conducted in 2020 suggests that one out of ten schools in the Southern area of Fukuoka has imposed a ban on ponytails. The former middle school teacher, who has taught at five different schools over the span of 11 years, told the news portal that all schools in the southwest area of Tokyo prohibited ponytails. He further added that he has made it his mission to call out the schools for making absurd, unreasonable and sexist rules that are not only old fashion and orthodox but also prevent students from expressing themselves. This comes in the backdrop of outrage from students and parents over these rules in June last year.

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Also Read: Japan’s Male-Dominated Ruling Party Is Okay To Have More Women In Meetings But They’ve To Keep Quiet

In the past, Japanese schools have made rules regarding socks, skirt length, eyebrow shape, hair colour authenticity, haircuts, hairstyles and other such draconian and rather arbitrary rules. It’s an absolute shame that female students are being targeted and their self-expression is being dictated by imposing such rules. This raises the same old questions once again, why are women being sexualised again and again?

Also Read: 5 Times Birthday Girl Scarlett Johansson Took Down Sexism Like ‘Black Widow’ Takes Down MCU Villains.

Despite the Japanese government’s request to revise such rules, the schools across the country continue to impose such bans and sexualise female students. It’s a shame that students in Japan have to face such orthodox rules that not only sexualise them but also attempt to curb their sexuality. We’ve said this before and we’ll say it again – they have been doing it wrong, all along. We really wish things would change but baby steps just aren’t enough now.

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Janvi Manchanda

​​She uses her pen to slice through patriarchy. She could be Geet one day, Wednesday Addams next. Writing is the bane of her existence and the object of all her desires!

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