Japanese Hairstyles and the Economy
Image from Businessweek
Does getting your hair cut mean that you’re anticipating a slowing economy? Businessweek has a short write up in regards to Nikkei’s findings that the length of women’s hair depends on how they see Japan’s financial stability.
Comparing the hair data to Japan’s economic well-being, Nikkei writer Kosuke Iwano found that in 1990, 60% of the women surveyed kept their hair long or semi-long. But by 1997, when the economy was flagging, short or medium for the first time accounted for more than half of all haircuts. In 1998, Japan’s economy was savaged by major financial bankruptcies, including that of Yamaichi Securities, at the time the country’s fourth-biggest broker.
Apparently getting your hair cut shorter means less maintenance, which means less styling products and less money spending. But, as Businessweek points out, maintaining a short hair cut involves, well, keeping it short. Which means going to the hair stylists more frequently, which could very well cost more than having styling products, which can last for longer stretches of time. Nikkei’s findings present an interesting concept, but with too many loopholes to make a plausible argument.
Living here, I’ve seen mostly medium-to-long lengths of hair, almost always made up of hair extensions and dyed. I’ve also had a Japanese roommate who used a ton of products on her short hair cut. As for maintaining a short style, it is not uncommon for people to do it themselves–I see do-it-yourself hair cutting magazines and scissors frequently in stores.
So does getting your hair cut have any relation to the economy? Maybe, but not to the extent that Nikkei would have us believe. People are always going to do what is deem fashionable by society–regardless of economy status.
Source: Japan’s Haircut Indicator - Businessweek
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