IDEAS FOR GOODFor centuries Japan has portrayed itself as a mono-racial nation of people with straight, jet black hair. However, a recent television commercial has sparked discussions not only about how wrong that idea is, but also about how detrimental it is to society when such narrow old beliefs are left unquestioned.
The commercial from hair care brand Pantene opens with a classroom of teachers answering a written test. It contained questions from students about the school’s policy on hair. The first of those is, “Please explain why we need to hand in a certificate to prove that our hair is its natural color?”
One teacher answered, “It’s so that we know whether your hair is like that naturally, or not.” On the other hand, a student shared how she was instructed by teachers to either cut her brown hair or dye it black. She questioned, “If we’re not allowed to dye our hair brown, then how is it that we are allowed to dye it black?”
“What’s Wrong with My Hair?” Pantene ad in Japanese, but English caption available (Length 5:23)
The missing essential discussion about rules and beliefs
The commercial was launched in March this year, just ahead of the new school term, as part of Pantene Japan’s “#HairWeGo What’s Wrong with My Hair?” campaign. It is inspired by the October 2017 filing of a lawsuit by a young woman against the local Osaka high school that repeatedly forced her to dye her naturally brown hair black. It caused rashes and pain on the woman’s scalp.
The hair regulations at Japanese high schools are based on the belief that bleaching, dyeing or perming one’s hair is a sign of delinquency. Their aim was to help keep students on the straight and narrow, by looking and acting in a manner befitting a student. But the rules ignore the fact that some Japanese naturally have curly or brown hair.
The lawsuit itself set off lots of debate throughout Japan. The commercial has kept that conversation going. Since Pantene placed the ad (subtitled in English) on its official website on April 8, it has been watched nearly 10 million times. Related Twitter comments have reached almost 180,000 tweets. Now, a petition (on change.org) calling for Japanese schools to drop rules that require students to dye their brown hair black has attracted more than 12,000 signatures. This petition will be submitted to Tokyo education officials.
A meaningful discussion that goes beyond just the hair
In the commercial, students point out to teachers a double standard: how students can dye their hair black, but not to dye it brown. A teacher then says, “We should probably reconsider what kind of hairstyle is one that is befitting of a student. We should discuss that together afresh.”
The commercial shows a calm and progressive to-and-fro debate between the students and teachers. Similarly, the petition aims not just to change the school rules on hair, but also to use the issue to create constructive dialogue throughout Japanese society.
On Japanese social media, the topic even went beyond irrational school rules. The commercial also prompted concerns about teachers’ working environment. According to research by Pantene (also shown in the ad), 93% of high school teachers agree that school rules on hair should change to suit the times. Social media comments pointed out that putting teachers in the position of enforcing rules they don’t agree will surely sour their working environment and reinforces hair-related prejudices among them.
The ad depicts a calm debate between two seemingly opposing sides that leads to common ground. It ends with a student saying that she hopes that joint discussion will create respect for individuality. The commercial celebrates diversity in people’s appearance, and in their ideas.
Accepting change and diversity for an inclusive society
Individually, and as a society, we tend to see change as a threat. But change is the only constant in our lives, and by recognizing the diversity in our changing societies, we acknowledge the various capabilities and choices available to us to overcome new challenges. Diversity is therefore imperative for a sustainable society, as is sustainable conversation. Debating a point to prove it right or wrong leads to an end. But discussing a problem in order to understand its roots and possible solutions leads to a future.
Such a conversation is what makes a diverse society into an inclusive one. We see regions throughout the world increasingly fractured by argument over opposing ideas. It is thus a reminder that listening to each other may be the single most important factor in achieving a sustainable society.
This article was originally published on IDEAS FOR GOOD.
Translated by Kirsty Kawano.
