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Why Did Japanese Men During WWII All Have Such Horrible Buzzcut Haircuts?
Self | August 5, 2018 | PJ-Comix

Posted on 08/05/2018 1:03:41 PM PDT by PJ-Comix

I was watching yet another WWII documentary about Japan during WWII this weekend and then it hit me... All and I mean, ALL, Japanese men (and most boys) during that era all had the same exact same buzzcut haircut that looked terrible. Yeah, military recruits in the U.S.A. get that same haircut in bootcamp but most let it grow out later at least on top. Yet Japanese men ALL had that same lousy buzzcut all the time.

Perhaps the only Japanese man not to have that buzzcut was the Emperor. So what was the reason? Was it conformity? Was there some law that declared that all men must have an ugly looking buzzcut? Just what was going on back then?

I did see an interesting biographical movie about Admiral Yamamoto recently and his hair was longer than a buzzcut. However, when I looked at pictures of Yamamoto from WWII, it turned out the REAL Yamamoto also had that terrible haircut everyone else from the lowliest army private up to Prime Minister Tojo had.

So does anybody have the reason for the terrible WWII era Japanese haircuts?

BTW, I notice that in occupation Japan, men quickly allowed their hair to grow longer. Also movies made in Japan about WWII show their soldiers with longer hair than they actually had back then. So even the Japanese are now embarrassed about how ridiculous those WWII era haircuts made them look.


TOPICS: Chit/Chat
KEYWORDS: haircuts; japan
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Being a barber back in Japan during WWII had to be the easiest job in the world. Just press the clippers hard against the head and simply push. Oh, and they didn't have to say anything in the barbershop like "take a little off the top of the ears" since ALL the haircuts were exactly the same.
1 posted on 08/05/2018 1:03:42 PM PDT by PJ-Comix
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To: PJ-Comix

Believe it or not, you pay for that haircut at basic training/boot camp and every other haircut you receive in the military. Perhaps the short haircuts in wartime Japan were for ease of wearing gas masks.


2 posted on 08/05/2018 1:07:22 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (You cannot invade the mainland US. There'd be a rifle behind every blade of grass.)
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To: PJ-Comix

Buzzcuts were practical, and easy to cut and easy to keep clean, especially in the tropics.


3 posted on 08/05/2018 1:07:38 PM PDT by laplata (Liberals/Progressives have diseased minds.)
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To: PJ-Comix

Here’s one theory - lice prevention - https://www.quora.com/Why-did-students-in-World-War-II-Japan-shave-their-heads


4 posted on 08/05/2018 1:08:04 PM PDT by RightGeek (FUBO and the donkey you rode in on)
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To: PJ-Comix

Need some photos to know what you are talking about


5 posted on 08/05/2018 1:08:31 PM PDT by PGR88
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To: PJ-Comix

http://www.iromegane.com/japan/culture/the-meaning-of-shaving-head-in-japan/


6 posted on 08/05/2018 1:09:41 PM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Believe it or not, you pay for that haircut at basic training/boot camp and every other haircut you receive in the military. Perhaps the short haircuts in wartime Japan were for ease of wearing gas masks.

Naw! Not buying that. Women didn't have buzzcuts but I think gass masks would fit them. BTW, contrary to myth, a gas mask should seal even on a bearded face. I use a dive mask with no problem and I have a full beard.

7 posted on 08/05/2018 1:10:32 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (The FBI recommends you do your fishing with an OCONUS lure)
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To: laplata

I think militaries also like to enforce conformity to the group as much as possible—and short hair is one means of doing that.


8 posted on 08/05/2018 1:11:19 PM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: RightGeek

Prime Minister Tojo had the horrible buzzcut haircut and somehow I don’t think he was worried about lice.


9 posted on 08/05/2018 1:12:14 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (The FBI recommends you do your fishing with an OCONUS lure)
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To: PJ-Comix

Easy.

Flied Lice.


10 posted on 08/05/2018 1:12:41 PM PDT by TADSLOS (You DonÂ’t Know About Lonely...)
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To: RightGeek

Lice was my guess as well.


11 posted on 08/05/2018 1:12:47 PM PDT by doorgunner69 (Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
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To: PJ-Comix

WWII japanese soldiers

These guys don’t seem to have the same hair cut


12 posted on 08/05/2018 1:13:03 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: PJ-Comix

Solidarity with the troops?


13 posted on 08/05/2018 1:13:39 PM PDT by doorgunner69 (Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
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To: PJ-Comix

Is a buzz cut the same thing as a crew cut?


14 posted on 08/05/2018 1:13:55 PM PDT by Dilbert San Diego
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To: Nifster

Drat my link no work


15 posted on 08/05/2018 1:14:16 PM PDT by Nifster (I see puppy dogs in the clouds)
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To: PGR88

Just look at any photo or documentary film about Japan and Japanese military during WWII and you will see they all had the horrible buzzcut haircut. Meanwhile, U.S. military, including Marines, had regular haircuts, some of which would be considered too long in today’s military.


16 posted on 08/05/2018 1:15:06 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (The FBI recommends you do your fishing with an OCONUS lure)
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To: Dilbert San Diego
Is a buzz cut the same thing as a crew cut?

I mean the same type of haircut that Marine recruits get when entering boot camp. After boot camp, most let at least the top grow out a bit but back in WWII Japan they all kept that boot camp style haircut all the time. Combs were basically useless back then for Japanese men.

17 posted on 08/05/2018 1:17:53 PM PDT by PJ-Comix (The FBI recommends you do your fishing with an OCONUS lure)
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To: PJ-Comix

Why are you worried about this?

You should be more concerned about Russians flipping the election to Trump.

It’s sarcasm, guys.


18 posted on 08/05/2018 1:19:47 PM PDT by oldbill
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To: TADSLOS

Yes thats what happened in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and all those jap cities we fire bombed


19 posted on 08/05/2018 1:20:05 PM PDT by al baby (Hi Mom Hi Dad)
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To: al baby

lol. Good one, al.


20 posted on 08/05/2018 1:20:57 PM PDT by TADSLOS (You DonÂ’t Know About Lonely...)
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