40 Do students in Saga Prefecture still have to wear white underwear? (Japanese School Rules Update)

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Do students in Saga Prefecture still have to wear white underwear?

Topics Discussed

• The decision by Saga Prefecture's Board of Education to get rid of an existing rule in some of its schools that made it mandatory for students to wear white underwear under their school uniforms
• The possibility that some school rules in Japan are human rights violations
• Whether ten pikachus count as one mascot or ten
• Japanese school rules regarding student hair color and hairstyles
• How it seems that there is an increasing push for public schools in Japan to reevaluate their rules and eliminate unnecessary/pointless ones
• And much more!

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Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Here is an English-language article about the Saga Prefecture Board of Education's decision to eliminate rules such as the infamous white underwear one.

• Public schools in Japan's Saga Prefecture will no longer regulate/check students' underwear color

Here are some Japanese-language articles about the Saga Prefecture Board of Education's decision to reform its school rules.

• 「下着は白」の校則、全校で削除　ひざ掛け禁止も見直し
• 「下着は白」校則は人権侵害　「肩ひも出させて色確認」
• 「下着は白」の指定、全校で廃止https://this.kiji.is/747403814183649280?c=39546741839462401
• 佐賀県、「下着は白」とかいう意味不明な校則をようやく削除する

If you haven't listened to our previous episodes about Japanese school rules and regulations (a.k.a. kōsoku), then check them out via the links below.

• Why do students in Hamamatsu City have to wear white underwear? | Ichimon Japan 27
• Why are school rules in Japan so strict? (All About Kōsoku) | Ichimon Japan 23

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Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here's some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen's WWWJDIC.

• Kōsoku
  • 校則 【こうそく】 (n) school regulations
• Jinken shingai
  • 人権侵害 【じんけんしんがい】 (n) human rights violation
• Kurubushi
  • 踝 【くるぶし】 (n) (uk) {anat} ankle; malleolus; ankle bone
• Unaji
  • 項 【うなじ】 (n) (uk) nape (of the neck); nucha

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Full Show Notes

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