Kate Elwood in her latest Cultural Conundrums column discusses the Japanese custom of cutting one's hair after suffering a heartbreak. I heard about this before and I often tease students who have a big image change by asking them if they broke up with their girlfriend/boyfriend, and now I know the Japanese word for it shitsuren:
Of course, Japanese people may remark casually on another's appearance, but it is generally less de rigueur than it is in North America. And in Japan, chopping off one's locks may hold a particular cultural significance. Several years ago, I commented on a female acquaintance's extensive haircut, from long and flowing tresses to short bob. She smiled wryly and said that she had felt like a change. Not, she added, because she was suffering from a broken heart (shitsuren), however. I was somewhat at a loss regarding what to say to this but managed to stammer out, "Um...I'm glad to hear that."
My acquaintance's declaration was intended as a mild joke related to the traditional Japanese custom of cutting hair following a romantic breakup. In May last year, the online dating section of the Internet portal and search engine Excite Japan published the results of a survey that asked whether users of the site had ever cut their hair after a relationship ended. About 24 percent of female respondents and 11 percent of male respondents answered affirmatively, suggesting the custom has not completely died out. The android diva Hatsune Miku, created by Crypton Future Media in 2007, sings a song titled "Watashi ga kami o kitta riyu" (The reason I cut my hair). In it, the 16-year-old virtual idol declares, "The reason I cut my hair is not to forget you, but to say goodbye to the weak me who can't forget you." In order for the song to be realistic, Miku's hairstyle changed from two long cerulean pigtails to a short bob.
There is no equivalent in the United States for the notion that cutting the hair implies lost love. In the classic song from the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical South Pacific, the female lead Nellie Forbush sings "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair," but this is simply an expression of Nellie's intention to give up her complicated romantic relationship. The song itself was apparently prompted by a request by Mary Martin, the actress playing Nellie, to add a shampooing scene to the musical since she felt like giving it a try on stage. In the 1961 movie Splendor in the Grass, directed by Elia Kazan, which takes place in 1928, the main character Deanie, played by Natalie Wood, cuts her hair short in the flapper style after her break up with Bud, played by Warren Beatty. While Deanie's hair-cutting is clearly triggered by lost love, the short style is an attempt to win back Bud by transforming herself into the modern, sexually liberated woman she believes he wants.
An 'ABC' (Australian Born Chinese) female friend of mine cut her hair (very) short after her Grandmother died. This was apparently tradition, and seems related to this shitsuren concept.
I've been busy with exams and moving into a new place - but I'm back and trying to catch up on a few of your posts, though its been at least a couple of months and you're quite prolific...
Posted by: Edward | July 19, 2011 at 05:40 PM
Edward, always a pleasure. I think East Indians also cut their hair in morning or at least that seems to be the case with the book/film: THE NAMESAKE.
Posted by: MC | July 19, 2011 at 10:57 PM