West Japan pref. abolishes excessive high school rules on dating, hair, underwear...

TSU -- Rules at all public high schools in west Japan's Mie Prefecture pertaining to subjects including hairstyles, dating, and underwear color were all abolished during the current academic year, the Mainichi Shimbun learned from the Mie Prefectural Board of Education on June 15.

Rules seen to go too far are dubbed "black school rules," and with more attention being paid to them as a societal problem, it appears schools were forced to rethink them. The education board's student guidance section explained, "There are school rules that remain like 'past relics' out of step with the times. We will seek further changes in the future."