Japan has prohibited girls' ponytail hairstyles in schools. The schools have given reason that ponytail hairstyle can 'sexually excite' males in educational institutes due to neck exposure. In 2022 a survey was conducted in which one school outlawed the ponytail.
A former middle school teacher told one news portal, “They’re worried boys will look at girls, which is similar to the reasoning behind upholding a white-only underwear color rule. I’ve always criticized these rules, but because there’s such a lack of criticism and it’s become so normalized, students have no choice but to accept them."
This move of Japanese schools has taken them to a lot of criticism, due to their weird school dress codes, earlier Japan imposed the all-white underwear rule after backlash. This all-white underwear rule was slammed for violating human rights as some school authorities used to check the underwear of students when they change for their sports activity. Parents also termed this rule as 'disgusting' after which one governing body has decided to take action against it. The Saga’s Prefecture board of education carried out the operation to dismiss this rule.
And then the board has finally come to an agreement to abolish the rule, later since last year, there has been no checking of underwear reported in the schools.