It recently came to public notice that a portion of public high schools in the Tokyo metropolis have banned students from wearing their hair in dreadlocks. (The Japanese term for this translates as "tube-locks hair.")
When a Tokyo metropolitan assemblyman queried the board of education regarding the rationale for this particular regulation, he was informed, "There is the possibility that the wearer might encounter an incident or accident."
This seemingly illogical (or irrational) rule led Spa (Aug 11-18) to examine what's been going on at schools around the nation in terms of tondemo kosoku (outrageous school regulations).
A high school student in Tohoku told the magazine her school required that both upper and lower undergarments were required to be white. "I was really embarrassed when a male teacher told me that he could see the color of my bra through my blouse," she related.
Ryo Uchida, an associate professor at Nagoya University graduate school, described the regulation as one of the few that has persisted "since Showa times," adding, "Normally it's the job of female instructors to perform these checks; for a man to make such a remark is outright sexual harassment."
Some schools have required that the face masks worn by students be no color except white, and in extreme cases, that they be "Abenomasks" supplied free of charge from the government.
A 20-year-old man named Kenta recalls that at his school, purple objects were banned. "The aim was to curb delinquent behavior, as purple was popular among yankii (delinquent) students."
At the school 19-year-old Yuki attended, cosmetic surgery was banned. When her classmate had a nose job, she was singled out by the teacher and obliged to write a letter of apology.
At another school, girls were prohibited from wearing their hair in pony tails, because -- are you ready for this? -- "girls' exposing the nape of their necks might arouse boys' erotic feelings."
Another absurd rule prohibits imbibing of coffee or tea beverages by high school students, due to the belief that caffeine is "unhealthy for young people." But the catch is, the school does not ban students from drinking of health elixirs or energy drinks that are chock full of caffeine.
Spa cited a March 2018 questionnaire in which people of different age segments up to age 60 were asked about their experiences with school regulations. These included: fixed length of skirt hems (for girls); being seated before the bell rings at the start of class; color of undergarments; prohibition on shopping en route to home; leaving behind textbooks or dictionaries; prohibition on use of hair pomade; drinking water during phys ed or club activities; limitations on hair length; detailed description on what type of hair styles are permitted; and prohibition on trimming eyebrows.
With one exception (drinking water), all the others seem to be enforced more energetically recently than they were one or two decades ago.
In a sidebar, the writer examines two middle schools in Tokyo's Setagaya and Chiyoda wards that have essentially dispensed with regulations regarding hair and clothing, bringing a smart phone or tablet computer, sounding bells between classes, disciplining tardy students, allowing students to study in the hallways instead of attending class. Did this result in anarchy? In the case of the Kojimachi Middle School in Chiyoda Ward, according to one educator, "Cases of classroom violence or ijime (harassment) declined, more students were admitted to better high schools, and the average academic achievement rose."
The above school also dispensed with requiring submission of homework and taking of regular examinations. Yet their average grades rose to the top level in the city and incidents of trouble seldom occurred.
One question that arises is, will these progressive schools -- which are both located in relatively affluent Tokyo neighborhoods -- eventually be emulated by those in other parts of Japan, or will they remain anomalies?
© Japan Today
63 Comments
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Steppenwolf323
I am sorry, I have been in Japan a very long time (I am a really old guy) teaching at university level.
i think most of your politically correct bs is ridiculous. The teachers charter is to enforce both learning and socially acceptable behavior. That means enforcing stated rules. The only issue I have is how he told her. Was it in private or in front of the class? In private would be appropriate.
It is not sexual harassment when professionally pointing out an infraction. These days sexual harassment is out of control. I think guidelines must be legally defined as it is far to easy to play this card, the same as the race card is played elsewhere.
Discipline is essential in the classroom. If the offending student had not been counseled I guarantee that 'the other students would know it and see this as an opening for other behaviors. Kids will be kids.
I don’t think kids get to self determine their desired gender. Boys have certain parts and girls other, so any special considerations, at such young ages, may in fact be harmfulII know that many many of you will disagree and criticize me, have at it.
Aly Rustom
Have a good weekend.
Aly Rustom
We can agree that if the remark was made by itself it was inappropriate. If the remark was made as PART OF a disciplinary action then maybe he was justified.
Regardless of what happened because neither of us will actually know what happened.
So lets agree to that
Aly Rustom
You're making ALOT MORE than 2 assumptions
Aly Rustom
To be fair to you-
there is one part where they mention a classmate got a nose job which was against the rules, but that was not the student the magazine interviewed. It was an unnamed classmate. Read the article again. Its asking students to name bizarre rules at their school. Not interviewing students who broke the rules. There is nothing to suggest the girl broke the rules.
But let's just say for the sake of argument that she did. It would still be wrong for the teacher to tell her that he could see the color of her bra.
Lets agree to this, had he followed up with disciplinary action, then maybe it would have been ok. But to make that remark and end it there was inappropriate.
Can we agree to that?
Aly Rustom
again, please show me where it says ANYTHING about breaking the rules. Where?
because the article is about strange rules. NOT about the students who break them. AGain, PLEASE show me where there is ANY mention of a student who breaks the rules.
I think you're grabbing at straws here. Here's the whole story.
A high school student in Tohoku told the magazine her school required that both upper and lower undergarments were required to be white. "I was really embarrassed when a male teacher told me that he could see the color of my bra through my blouse," she related.
As was mentioned before, the undergarments would have been visible whether or not they were white, so why make that remark? Especially when that was all the teacher said. If he was saying it to scold her he would have said something else. But to just tell her that he could see the color of her bra? Even if she was not wearing a white bra (even though there is no indication she wasn't) it STILL would be inappropriate.
Just to only remark that he can see her bra color and say nothing else? Come on. You know deep inside it was wrong. You just don't say that.
Aly Rustom
Why do you suspect that? Tell me.
No he didn't AT ALL. He merely made a comment that he could see her bra. VERY inappropriate. He didn't call her out on anything. Just made a comment.
The nature of the article is talking about strange rules. It is not talking about non compliance of rules. NOTHING to suggest she broke the rules.
If you think sexual harrassment is part of his job description
Aly Rustom
Then the teacher should have talked to school administration NOT tell the girl that he can see the colour of her bra.
Remember, she was wearing A SCHOOL UNIFORM ISSUED BY THE SCHOOL.
So if he wants to make a comment, he should make it to the school. Telling the girl that he can see the color of her bra is inappropriate.
Desert Tortoise
"If the teacher allows that debauchery to persist for 50 minutes for all to see he’s doing a disservice to everyone in the room."
Calling a visible bra strap debauchery is a little over the top. If you can't study or pay attention to the teacher because a bra strap is visible the problem isn't with the wearer of the bra. But your post is indicative of the kinds of, how to say this, backwards views that generate such rules. It's not that far from the Iranian or Saudi religious police punishing women for showing their ankles or too much hair in public. Lighten up.
Aly Rustom
sorry visible not available
Aly Rustom
A. He didn't do that. Just mentioned that he could see the color of her bra so what's the point of the comment?
B. and if she was adhering to the school rules and wearing a white bra as per school rules? which would still render her bra visible?
The comment was useless and inappropriate
Aly Rustom
Do you have a link to this claim?
Aly Rustom
I'm talking about undershirts.
The girl's underwear was not visible.
They didn't.
Please show me where in the article it says that her underwear was available
Aly Rustom
And I also want to address flute’s comment
Just to point out : nothing in the article indicate that the student was not wearing a white bra.
Moreover according to lady if you want your undies not to be shown you do not choose white but skin color. I even read some article about some company which have the skin color bra in the uniform for this reason (perhaps an airline one, it was a while ago, I do not remember which it was).
So if the objective is for the undies not to be seen, forcing white is a bad choice.
So she may very well have been wearing a white bra and following the school regulations. Which means that her bra would still have been visible under school regulations
Which would make his comments all the more ludicrous since adhering to school uniform standards would have still rendered her bra visible
Aly Rustom
except that Do you want to make the male teachers uncomfortable. Your words. That’s not what was happening with this girl. She was embarrassed.
You said that. I didn’t
And I’m the one arguing that the male teacher was wrong and the female student should not have been told that. In case you missed it
That is ridiculous. Just because the color of a bra not even the bright self can be seen does not make it an unprofessional learning environment. This is ridiculous
Again that’s not your call to make or a male teachers call to make.
And by the way, are you not aware that your undershirt is usually visible under your white shirt? What gives you the right to have a visible T-shirt or undershirt under your dress shirt but then Bully a girl just because you can see the color of her bra?
cleo
Beg pardon??
I said we would wear underwear that was visible through/under our uniform - exactly like the girl in the article. There is no difference at all.
It was not extremely indecent exposure at all, just stupid teenage tastelessness and bravado. Coloured bras that showed through the uniform shirt we had to wear, just like the girl in the article. Knee-length knickerbockers with lace peeping out from under our skirts - fashionable at the time, though definitely not part of school uniform.
Maybe not having semi-see-through blouses as part of the compulsory school uniform would be an idea.
Invalid CSRF
Flute
Just to point out : nothing in the article indicate that the student was not wearing a white bra.
Moreover according to lady if you want your undies not to be shown you do not choose white but skin color. I even read some article about some company which have the skin color bra in the uniform for this reason (perhaps an airline one, it was a while ago, I do not remember which it was).
So if the objective is for the undies not to be seen, forcing white is a bad choice.
As Aly Rustom, I do not get why any man could even think to go to a teenage girl to say he can see her bra no matter if the bra is following the dress code or not.
Aly Rustom
Doesn’t matter. He shouldn’t have said that to her it was inappropriate. And the fact of the matter is, a professor at a Japanese university weighed in and said it was inappropriate and a form of sexual harassment.
Like I told you before and I’ll tell you again, I have had experience in education here in Japan. You haven’t. And if a Japanese professor shares the same opinion as me, I’d say we’re more in the right than you are. Get a few years of teaching at a Japanese high school under your belt before you make judgment calls like that
It was inappropriate and it was not the right thing to say to the girl
Aly Rustom
The teacher in question did not do anything about the situation. He merely rtold the girl that he could see the color of her bra through her shirt. The guy is a perv.
Aly Rustom
There was no indecent exposure involved whatsoever. Being able to see the color of a bra through a shirt is not indecent exposure. If it was indeed extremely indecent exposure like you used to do when you were a kid Cleo, it would be different. Again I’m not going to comment on the what if’s and what about like burning bush wants to do. I’m only going to comment on this particular incident.
In this particular incident there was absolutely no reason to make that comment to that girl. And therefore that comment was inappropriate.
Aly Rustom
There was nothing that had to be said. So the teacher could see the color of her bra through her shirt. Do you really think that warrants a comment from him? It was a totally inappropriate comment.
Aly Rustom
then wait for the class to end.
There was nothing that had to be said. So the teacher could see the color of her brown from her shirt. Do you really think that warrants a comment from him to her? That’s ridiculous. both of you
cleo
Yes. Ditto teachers who stop the class to go out and find a teacher of the opposite sex to come in and talk to a student - in front of the whole class? - about a matter that could be cleared up with just a quiet word.
Now that - having a teacher come in specifically to point out in the middle of the lesson that one's underwear was on show - that would be truly embarrassing.
If something needs saying, then just say it and get on with the lesson.
Invalid CSRF
Aly Rustom
You don’t know that. And you don’t have any right to make that call. You weren’t there.
Then leave the classroom find the female teacher and have her deal with it.
Again see the above
And this is not considered indecent exposure. Just because the teacher was peering through a girls blouse and happened to see not her bra but just the color of it is not indecent exposure at all. Also, Her button was not undone. You are again using scenarios that are completely different from the above case. Just because you want to make a point that’s completely incorrect.
It is very much the issue here. It goes to show whether you understand the teaching environment here in Japan or not. And judging by You are defensive reply I’m going to assume that you have zero teaching experience in Japan. At least in public high schools anyway. That means you’re not qualified to make a judgment call on what is appropriate and inappropriate behavior in a Japanese high school.
Actually what you just said is the exact definition of what a poor teacher is. A teacher who only has one answer for everything and one way of doing everything. There are different rules for high schools in different countries. Moreover, there are different rules for each and every high school in Japan. However what the teacher did is absolutely unacceptable. At least in A Japanese high school. It may be acceptable in Russia. But it is not in Japan.
garypen
Whichever gender the trans student identifies as should be the gender of the teacher who speaks with them about this stupid archaic rule.
As for the bi and gay students, whichever gender they are would dictate the gender of the teacher. The fact that they are bi or gay has nothing to do with it.
Aly Rustom
You said the boy would expose himself to the female teacher. That implies that it was Intentional. The girl in this case does not appear to have done anything intentionally. Therefore the scenarios that you paint are completely different and what is more, do not apply here at all
Aly Rustom
Again I ask you how much teaching experience do you have in Japan? It is important for me to know how much teaching experience that you have because it is pertinent that you understand the general dynamics of how Japanese high school works and the role and jobs of the educators in this country. This may be appropriate behavior back in your country. It is certainly not appropriate behavior in Japan. And I promise you burning bush, if you did something like what the teacher did above you would Get into big trouble if somebody complained about you. The teacher is very lucky that the girl didn’t complain about him
Aly Rustom
No I said if a student exposed himself to a female teacher she should get a male teacher to deal with anything sexual. Please don’t put words in my mouth
Saying something about it is not going to change the fact. Whether or not the male teacher chooses to say something about it will not change that fact. So therefore he should wait until after the class and have a female teacher say something about it
And here in Japan the parents would understand that it’s not a male teachers job to tell a female student that. They would understand that the male teacher was acting appropriately.
Allowed it to happen? So the teacher should make the girl take off her bra?
Again that’s not what happened here. you use a lot of what if’s. There are different rules for different situations. What this teacher did was not correct. You try to justify your argument by using a lot of what if’s that have nothing to do with the situation at hand. I’m only going to comment on the situation.
What the teacher did in that particular situation above was inappropriate. Please don’t bother me anymore with what if’s scenarios that you want to play out in your head. Focus on this particular situation and only this situation.
englisc aspyrgend
Commanteer, a second slice of pie? Depravity? Oh it is, it is! Bring on the pie, now where is the cream to go with it!?
On a more sensible note, excessive laxity can also counter productive and schools that were failing have been turned around by introduction of uniforms and enforcement of school rules. There is no single simple solution. Also it is to be noted the two schools mentioned are in wealthy areas with no doubt parents who have high expectations for the children. Quite possibly a major factor in the success of the experiment is the location and background of the children as much as the rule changes. Whether schools in other socioeconomic areas would respond in the same way is yet to be shown.
Aly Rustom
But that's not what happened here.
That would be sexual harassment and she should immediately leave the room and bring in a male teacher to deal with it
Aly Rustom
Just out of curiosity, how many years of HS teaching do you have Bush?
Aly Rustom
No. He should pretend that he didn't see it and inform a female teacher. And if he "enjoys the show" that's a different problem altogether.
commanteer
While you may have a point, calling visible undergarments "debauchery" is like calling a second slice of pie "depravity."
Aly Rustom
regardless. It is not his place to tell a female student that. And I'll take the word of an associate professor at Nagoya University graduate school over the judgment of some random poster on JT thanks very much
Aly Rustom
From the article.
Ryo Uchida, an associate professor at Nagoya University graduate school, described the regulation as one of the few that has persisted "since Showa times," adding, "Normally it's the job of female instructors to perform these checks; for a man to make such a remark is outright sexual harassment."
Aly Rustom
the student's sexual orientation isn't the issue here. Whether gay bi or straight, the student should be inspected by a teacher of the same gender.
as for transgender students, my guess is that a female teacher would probably be less awkward than a male
A quick word to the girl is surely a lot less embarrassing by a female teacher than a male one.
Well I'm happy for you getting your jollies that way cleo. But I've been there. I was an educator at a high school and I have had instances like this where I neither blushed nor stuttered. I simply spoke quietly to a female teacher about what I saw and the situation was dealt with swiftly.
Invalid CSRF
cleo
Slippery slope...whose job is it to inspect the trans/bi/gay students?
A quick word to the girl is surely a lot less embarrassing to all concerned than dragging another person into it.
When I was at secondary school we would deliberately wear underwear that was visible through/under our uniforms, precisely because we got a laugh out of the discomfort of male teachers who didn't feel able to keep us in line. It wouldn't have been as much fun, and so we probably wouldn't have done it, if the male teachers had been able to deal with it without blushing or stuttering.
Invalid CSRF
Toasted Heretic
Hey, teachers. Leave those kids alone!
Aly Rustom
He's not paid to discipline. He's paid to teach.
Even if its ok to Discipline, commenting on a girl's undergarments is A BIG FAT NO
No he would be a professional and intelligent teacher. I've worked in Japanese high schools before. This would get you fired
Then talk to her parents.
Again, that's not what happened here. Enough with the what ifs.
By telling a girl he can see the color of her bra? That's your idea of discipline?
kohakuebisu
I'm surprised they didn't mention hair colour. Many schools have traditionally assumed everyone must have straight jet black hair, with any deviation from this a disciplinary matter.
Regarding the end of the article, from what I can gather, a number of the top public SHS in Nagano do not have a uniform. I've read comments saying the top STEM school, the only kokuritsu SHS in Nagano Prefecture, has kids with dyed hair and pierced ears. So none of these arbitrary rules can be connected to academic achievement and they are more likely to affect people lower down the ladder.
Aly Rustom
It is the job of the FEMALE teachers to inspect the FEMALE students and MALE teachers the MALE students
Then he can report it to a female teacher.
That's not what happened here.
Again, bring it to the attention of a female teacher. Telling a HS girl that he can see the color of her bra is inappropriate.
Ok then. You try telling a HS girl that. I'd love to sit back and watch the consequences! LOL
Aly Rustom
Disturbing that he was looking in the first place...
Ryo Uchida, an associate professor at Nagoya University graduate school, described the regulation as one of the few that has persisted "since Showa times," adding, "Normally it's the job of female instructors to perform these checks; for a man to make such a remark is outright sexual harassment."
OOOOKKKKAAAYYYY......
So I guess the Joker wouldn't be very welcome there?
Oh thank god! While I was reading it I was worried the teacher might have tried to damage her nose in some way.
Those harlots!! Burn them at the stake!!
Yeah. It kind of reminds me of when they say that you have to be 20 to buy cigs, BUT you can work in a smoke infested coffee shop or Izakaya from 16 and inhale even more harmful second hand smoke til ya puke yer lungs out! LMAO!
NCIS Reruns
I remember a similar article some years ago that included limitations on the amount of toilet paper (measured in centimeters) students were allowed to use. I don't even want to think how that was monitored, or how violators were penalized.
movieguy
Burning Bush - It's never OK for a male teacher to point out the undergarments of any female that isn't his girlfriend/wife, but especially if it's a student.