In many countries, dyeing your hair is hardly an issue. In Japan, however, it long caused real problems. Anyone who wanted to appear professional at work was expected to have black hair. Now, hair color rules in Japan are changing. More and more companies allow other, natural shades, and some even accept bright colors in the workplace. Yet this shift is not entirely voluntary. In many cases, organizations have little choice but to adjust their policies.

Japan, hair color rules and high heels

The idea that only black hair looks professional is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Conformity, homogeneity and group culture carry far more weight than in many Western countries. This became visible during the #KuToo movement, when Japanese women protested against mandatory high-heel policies in many organizations. At the time, a government minister defended the rule by calling high heels appropriate and necessary, which clearly illustrates how appearance standards are viewed. At Japan Airlines, international pressure eventually pushed the company to allow female flight attendants to wear lower heels.

Strict appearance rules extend beyond the workplace and into schools. Many educational institutions require students to wear uniforms, complete with name badges, and some even regulate the color of their underwear. In many cases, schools only permit black hair. In one court case, a school forced a student with naturally dark brown hair to dye it black because staff refused to believe it was her natural color. The judge ultimately sided with the school.

 

Hair color rules in Japan

In the workplace, hair color rules are especially common in service-related sectors, such as healthcare, retail and customer service roles.

To determine whether someone’s hair color is considered natural, the Japan Hair Color Association developed an official hair color scale. Companies use this scale to define how much employees may deviate from the “norm.” The higher the level, the lighter the hair, and the further it deviates from black.

• Level 1 to 3 – Very dark black
• Level 4 – Standard natural black. Often seen as the “social norm” in traditional dress codes
• Level 5 to 6 – Dark brown
• Level 7 to 9 – Medium to light brown
• Level 10 to 11 – Light brown, visibly lightened
• Level 12 to 15 – Very light blonde

Japanese supermarkets and hair color policies

Although black hair was the norm for many years, that situation is now changing. Companies no longer automatically follow traditional rules. Instead, they test what happens when they relax them.

Uny Co., which operates several Japanese supermarket chains, required employees to wear either black or chestnut brown hair until March 2022. After relaxing the rules, the company surveyed its employees to measure the impact. It published the results at the end of 2023.

The survey showed that 48.9 percent of employees had black hair, 41.7 percent had brown hair and 9 percent chose bright colors. These included blonde hair as well as pastel shades such as pink. Roughly half of the workforce deviated from black hair, yet only 4.6 percent received negative reactions at work. In contrast, 74.2 percent received positive responses. Customers often complimented them on their hair color.

Despite these results, Uny Co. initially hesitated to relax the dress code. The company had kept its hair rules unchanged for 50 years. Management feared that customers would feel uncomfortable when encountering employees with bright hair colors. To counter that concern, the company instructed employees with bold hair colors to greet customers more energetically, hoping this would demonstrate their commitment to their work.

 

Different hair colors in public transportation

Even Japanese public transport, known for its strict dress codes, has revised its policies. Tokyo Metro Co. surveyed its employees to understand how they felt about the existing appearance rules.

Employees expressed a clear desire for more flexibility, especially regarding summer uniforms, and called for greater equality and diversity in the workplace. Until recently, men were not allowed to dye their hair at all. After reviewing the survey results, the company relaxed its policies. From May 2025, employees may dye their hair up to level 11 on the Japan Hair Color Association scale. Ties are now optional, and women may choose to wear them if they wish.

Pharmacy operator Fuji Yakuhin Co., which runs the Seims drugstore chain, has taken an even bigger step. Since July 2025, employees may dye their hair in any color. Where the company once limited nail polish to natural shades, it now permits other colors and even nail art. As in Japanese supermarkets, employees mainly report positive reactions from customers.

 

Why hair color rules in Japan are disappearing

Reading the news about these relaxed policies might give the impression that companies are becoming more inclusive or that they finally understand that hair color says nothing about professionalism. But the reality is less romantic.

In many industries, organizations only change dress codes when the existing policy starts to hurt the business. And that is exactly what is happening now. Japan faces growing labor shortages. By relaxing dress codes, companies actively try to attract more applicants. Some retailers already report an increase in students applying for part-time jobs after they changed their policies.

It remains unclear how many companies have relaxed their rules so far. Research by L’Oréal Japan shows that 45 percent of retail companies had specific hair color policies. If this trend continues, that percentage will likely drop quickly.

 

Further reading about Japan and workplace appearance

Hair color rules in Japan are not an isolated issue. I have previously written about other dress codes and developments in Japanese work culture:

• Men at Japan Air can wear lip gloss and nail polish
• Hello Kitty launches shoe collection for working women

Kind regards,

Aileen