Tokyo schools change rules - 18th April 2022

For children and teenagers in Tokyo, Japan, school is changing. They can now choose their own hairstyle. Before, there were lots of school rules. Students didn't like the rules. Now, 200 high schools are going to stop five rules.

One rule is about hair colour. Before, all students had to have black hair. There was a rule about boys' hair too. It couldn't be short at the sides and long on top. And there was an underwear rule too. Underwear could only be one or two colours.

People talked about the rules. Things started to change. A few years ago in Osaka, an 18 year old student was unhappy with the rules. Her natural hair colour was brown. But this was against the rules. The girl had to make her hair black. Later, the government had to give her money.

Education expert Kaori Yamaguchi is happy about the changes. But she thinks they took too long.