Why Did Japanese Men During WWII All Have Such Horrible Buzzcut Haircuts?

Self | August 5, 2018 | PJ-Comix

[PJ-Comix]

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.

[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.

[laplata]

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

[RightGeek]

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

[PGR88]

Need some photos to know what you are talking about

[SoCal Pubbie]

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

[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.

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.

[9YearLurker]

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

[PJ-Comix]

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

[TADSLOS]

Easy.

Flied Lice.

[doorgunner69]

Lice was my guess as well.

[Nifster]

WWII japanese soldiers

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

[doorgunner69]

Solidarity with the troops?

[Dilbert San Diego]

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

[Nifster]

Drat my link no work

[PJ-Comix]

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.

[PJ-Comix]

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.

[oldbill]

Why are you worried about this?

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

It’s sarcasm, guys.

[al baby]

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

[TADSLOS]

lol. Good one, al.