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Black student in Japan separated from other students at graduation ceremony over hairstyle rules

A Black student in Japan was separated from his classmates during a graduation ceremony because his hair was not in compliance with the strict rules set by the school. The student had plaited his hair into cornrows as a tribute to his Black heritage. The student was reportedly instructed to sit alone at the back of the hall during the ceremony and was not allowed to stand or respond when his name was called out.

The student, who has chosen to remain anonymous, is the son of an African-American father and a Japanese mother. He explained that he had plaited his naturally curly hair to make it look neater for the ceremony and had learned about the cultural significance of cornrows from online sources and his father. He expressed disappointment that he was not able to create happy memories with his friends and felt like he was being told that it was not his special day. He said that his hairstyle represented his father’s roots and culture in the Black community.

The school’s vice-principal stated that the student had been segregated for not following the rules on haircuts. The school’s regulations ban ‘trendy’ hairstyles and require ‘clean and appropriate’ haircuts for high school students, but do not mention braiding.

Many Japanese schools have strict rules on uniforms and hairstyles, requiring students to keep their hair short around the ears and neckline and forbidding hair that touches their eyebrows. However, some schools have begun to review their rules in recent years. This is due in part to a 2017 lawsuit by a female student who claimed that her high school had told her to dye her naturally brown hair black or face expulsion.

In 2021, Japan’s education ministry urged local education authorities to regularly review their regulations and adopt a ‘common sense’ approach to changing times.

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