Hair Harassment in Japanese Workplaces

Joseph Trubenstein -

In a work culture that already struggles with normalized bullying, "hair harassment" has emerged as the latest abuse suffered by Japanese salarymen.

The history of workplace "hara" in Japan

Japan is known for having one of the world's most toxic work cultures.

It comes as no surprise to anyone familiar with the fact that Japan had to create a new word to describe the widespread practice of employers literally working people to death.

Employees in Japan face excessive overtime, immense pressure, and little to no support for mental health.

For decades, the image of a passed-out salaryman has symbolized the Japanese workforce, pressured to work late, drink excessively, and repeat the cycle just a few hours later.

However, long shifts and constant hangovers are not the only concerns for employees in Japan. Those working in particularly exploitative or "black" Japanese companies often experience various forms of harassment.

These verbal, physical, and psychological abuses have become so common in Japan that once again, new words had to be invented to describe them.

Colloquially referred to as "hara" - these portmanteaus combine the word describing the offending behavior, with the first two syllables of the Japanese pronunciation of harassment, or "ha-ra-su-men-to".

For example:

Pawa-hara = "Power Harassment"

Seku-hara = "Sexual Harassment"

Aru-hara = "Alcohol Harassment"

and as of 2022,

Kami-hara = "Hair Harassment"

Hair harassment enters the public discourse

The definition of hair harassment in Japan came as the result of a survey conducted by The Japan Public Relations Institute.

The organization surveyed 20,000 Japanese men and women between age 30 and 70 to see how people felt about balding and the stigmas surrounding it in Japan.

The results were as follows:

  • 40.3% of those surveyed carried some sort of insecurity regarding hair loss
  • 41.1% of those carrying an insecurity had directly experienced some form of teasing
  • 29.5% of those with full heads of hair admitted to teasing someone about their hair loss
  • 62.3 of those who admitted to teasing believed they were right in doing so

The key takeaway according to the JPRI, was the gap in perception between those who were teased and those who did the teasing.

The study suggests that the existing toxic work culture may hinder workplace bullies from recognizing that their behavior constitutes abuse.

But perhaps what is most surprising about the research is the level of seriousness with which it was conducted.

The survey, which aimed to shed light on hair harassment, was carried out in a sincere pursuit of something known as "The Sustainable Development Goals."

Hair harassment and the 10th SDG

If you have spent any time in or around corporate Japan in the past few years, you may have noticed a trend in colorful lapel pins.

These small pins, with their 17 different colors, represent an organization's commitment to working towards the 17 "Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs).

The SDGs were created by the UN in 2015 as a blueprint for various environmental, social, and economic actions to promote sustainability.

The aforementioned research on hair harassment was conducted in relation to the 10th SDG, which aims to "Reduce inequality within and among countries." Specifically, this SDG focuses on eliminating discrimination of all kinds.

This means that not only was the survey conducted with the SDGs in mind, but the findings published by the Japan Public Relations Institute also prompted people to question whether "hair harassment" should be classified under the same category as racial discrimination.

Fear of braving the shave

To western readers, the above might seem ridiculous.

That’s because in the US, the most widely prescribed regimen for male pattern baldness, is to shave one's head and go to the gym.

But in Japan, the idea of even acknowledging hair loss can be terrifying.

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Standing out in Japanese society is something that most people will do everything they can to avoid. As the often cited proverb goes, "the nail that sticks up will be hammered down.”

Even though balding is a perfectly natural part of life that most men will experience, it’s still sometimes treated as standing out in a negative way.

This is perhaps one of the reasons why so many Japanese men seem to prefer wigs and combovers to simply shaving their heads.

Signs of progress

Hair harassment is just one small drop in the ocean of criticism Japan has faced for decades over its toxic work culture.

As a result, any news related to reform efforts can only be seen as positive.

Whether it's "kami-hara" or any other form of "hara," organizations and individuals in Japan are beginning to recognize more types of discrimination and are taking steps to address them.

By raising awareness, Japan can perhaps one day break this cycle and foster healthier, more inclusive workplaces for everyone.