Black Hair in Japanese High School

Hello!

I'm getting ready to study abroad in Japan this August, but I was just informed, or cautioned, by my advisers that I may not be able to go with my traditional twists and braids because of their strict dress code. I might stand you - even though I'm already black.

So, should I just go with my natural "Afro" - which would still stand out - or would it be alright to put normal kinky twists or braids in my air?

Anyone have any experience with this?

Thank you in advance! :D

Sorry but i don't have an answer for you. you may want to do some outside research on this.

This may help you. go on youtube and try to find black teachers who are teaching in Japan. they may be about to help answer your question.

teacher who live in Japan who post daily video of their experience in Japan sometime answer question and help out people coming to live Japan.

I'm getting ready to study abroad in Japan this August, but I was just informed, or cautioned, by my advisers that I may not be able to go with my traditional twists and braids because of their strict dress code.

Given your unique situation of attending Japanese high school as a foreign student, chances are your school will not apply the exact same standards to you.

You probably braid your hair for practical reasons too, in which case you cannot be at fault. Go to your school with whichever hairstyle you're already accustomed to. If you naturally have a kind of hair that almost no Japanese person has, this obvious difference is something that can't be ignored by anyone who would normally want to enforce the dress code in your school.

the real meaning of "the dress code" is "do not change your original (natural) hair (also, body itself).", because you are a minor.

Dress codes differ greatly depending on the school, and it can also change from time to time within the same school.

I think your advisors were just trying to tell you that you shouldn't be shocked if it so happens that the school tells you something against your tradition.

Just wear your hair any way you want on your first day, but try to be as modest as possible. For example, if you have a choice between black hair bands and colorful hair bands, wear the plain black ones.

Also, if you feel that anything is against your tradition, just say so and very often the school would understand.

By the way, I'm a Japanese woman, and the very strict school I used to attend decades ago in Japan told us to have long hair braided. A teacher explained that it's a good way to avoid your hair from getting into people's faces in crowded commuter trains. So being "natural" is a bit mis-leading, I would say.

On a side note, a lot of people of the Japanese race have natural "afro" style hair. Among them, the friends I used to know usually wore braids.

Thank you so much everyone. I'll go with my normal twists and braids. Thank you so much!