Fashion-conscious university students in northern Japan are being offered money to do away with their dyed hair and body piercings as part of a drive to tackle falling standards of behaviour.
This month Akita Keizaihoka University and an affiliated vocational college introduced a ban on ”unusual” hairstyles and colourings, as well as pierced earrings and body piercings that ”might make other people feel uncomfortable”.
The university threatened to discipline students who disobey the rules but said it would also offer a financial sweetener of ¥10 000 yen ($84) each to encourage them to comply, the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper said.
The regulations say that students ”should avoid gaudiness and maintain decency”, adding that their hair should be ”hygienic”.
The university estimates that the rules apply to about 50 of its 1 800 students and is willing to pay out a total of ¥1-million in its attempt to improve its image. But some students denounced the move as an attack on their freedom of expression. ”Why do they have to go this far?” said one.
The chief director of the university, Ken Koizumi, blamed the decline in public morals on the increasing number of young people with no skills who flit between part-time jobs and make no contribution to society. ”A poorly turned-out student also reflects badly on the university,” he said.
The university said in a statement that the regulations were designed to encourage students to behave as ”responsible members of society … It is our responsibility to do something about this problem and nurture model citizens, such as company workers and civil servants.” – Guardian Unlimited Â