Why Dreadlocks Are Trending In Japan 

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As a black american, it does feel good to see the appreciation. I do not have negative feelings about this at all! It feels like they have a lot of love for black culture, which is a breath of fresh air these days. Thank you Takashii!! Great video

Im black as hell and if anything, I see this as appreciation. People need to understand and LEARN the differences between appropriation and appreciation. Im glad that most of these were respectful of the hairstyle.

From what I've been learning about Japan to be able to express themselves like this in a culture where it's more expected for people to blend in a more homogenous society, they are very brave. As long as nobody is hurt, do what makes you happy. Very amazed by these men. Good for them.

As an African who has been fascinated by Japanese culture for a long while now and is currently learning the Japanese language independently via Duolingo, I love the respect these men show on the video. One thing caught my attention though. One of the guys stated that people ask him about not washing his hair. I did not hear a follow up so I was wondering if they do not wash their hair. We wash our dreads and I would advise them to once the dreads take root.

My fiance and I just came back from Tokyo 2 weeks ago and so many people complemented us on our locs 🥰 I feel like the fascination Japanese people have with black culture does come from a kind and genuine place and it makes me happy how respectful they are when they give appreciation to our culture 😊

I love that the 3rd guy mentioned Reggae and Rasta which is a part of the Caribbean culture so it's not just about rap or hip hop.

Japanese culture is awesome too! They're big on respect, honor, education and being industrious in general, but what fascinates me most is their dedication to mastering any craft they undertake with precision; they take pride in the result of their effort in a really serious and cool way.

Can you please do a video interviewing japanese people with (fullbody?) tattoos and why they got them? As i understand it's not very accepted in many working places so would be interesting to know what they do for a living. Thank you for all your videos!

Much respect for acknowledging the roots and its nice to see you have open minded people in Japan.

I love seeing our culture being represented in other countries it makes this world feel together in at least one thint

This series is such a positive thing i love it 🤘

I'm black and I have locs and I think this is just amazing. I grew up idolizing Japanese and anime culture so it's so pleasing to me seeing this. I expected Japanese people to not understand let alone appreciate black American culture. This is awesome!!!

So many people grow up influenced by Asian culture. RZA a member of the popular rap group Wu-Tang clan actually goes super in-depth on samples they used from 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s kung fu movies in a Vanity Fair video. The video is incredibly interesting, you can tell how informed and interested RZA is about Asian culture. Definitely give it a watch!

Takashii, I’m a latecomer to your channel. Having only discovered your offerings about 2 months ago. Loving it. Very enlightening. Especially loving this episode. Keep up the great work! (Can’t wait to visit Japan!)

Great interview. Thank you

Not gonna lie, you can see Japanese guys who have dreadlocks so easily in Tokyo. Especially if you go to Shibuya at night. What do you think about this? Please leave your opinion here!

I have seen this trend, including some women wearing box braids, bantu knots and twists. Not sure how I feel since most black people, myself included, seem to have had bad experiences at salons and walking on the street here with their natural hair, whether in dreads or not, having Japanese people laugh at them, talk sh!t, compare it to clown or dog hair and all sorts of other egregiousness. I think the black female hair experience in Japan is different than the male one to at least some extent since they tend to want to keep longer hair than men on average.

You can really feel a sense of expression and not appropriation. NGL tho, I started with dreads but I can’t take the itching that comes with the process so I stick to my Afro, twists and braids. Waking up to this was like a cup of coffee😁I’m in a positive mood and is ready to start my day. Thanks Takashii

Good to watch ❤. Thanks Takashii

As a black women I LOVE THIS !!!!! and it's also nice to see because I grew up loving Japanese culture and the animes, and foods etc !!!!!

You should’ve found some Japanese folk who wear other protective hairstyles such as cornrows, box braids, Bantu knots, plaits etc. Because I’ve seen and interacted with some who wear these styles, in fact my Chicago Footwork teacher and some of her Japanese students wear them(mainly plaits and rows).

This does feel like a genuine show of appreciation. I love that

They look so cute on dreadlocks

Black African here, I think this is actually cool. We gotta start seeing people as people rather than different groups and mixing and sharing cultures is a part of that. Keep rocking them!

I’m Jamaican and black American and I don’t see a problem like some do, I’m happy they enjoy our culture. Cultures are meant to be shared and i think Japanese culture is amazing and beautiful. 🇺🇸❤🇯🇵

that's so dope! love to see the japanese dreadlocks

The 2nd and 4th looks good

I loved this! It really touched me to see such appreciation of black culture, and they wore the dreads so well! They all looked so good! Ii will head to Japan soon and this makes me comfortable wearing my braids. Thank you!

As a west Indian I really appreciate the older gentlemen pointing out that dreads is more a rasta thing..everyone was extremely respectful and knowledgeable and they all looked so good rocking dreads and the one afro dude!

Its trending cause it looks super good.

I am happy to see the culture have spread. Me personally I love Anime, I have a Japanese tattoo, I love the food, the discipline, the video games and most importantly Japan respected our culture. I love it. ❤

Respect to second homeboy for not limiting himself to companies that don't agree with his style expression. I'm sure it's especially tricky in Japan though.

I've had locs for almost a year now (this pfp is really outdated lol) and I grew up with some Japanese culture because my Mom was raised in Japan and anime of course. This is so heartwarming to see our two cultures interested in each other even thought they're so different.

Thank you for this video!

Love this--I've never had a problem with it but seeing genuine love for the style and culture as the reason for most of these cases warms my heart. Appreciation!

Great video, Takashii! As a black man entering my late 40s, I used to have very long dreads for 24yrs and only cut them all off in the fall of 2020. At the time when I cut them off, my long dreads were down to my knees and I only decided to cut them all off because of the total amount of weight and stress it was causing on my scalp/neck. Sometimes I miss my dreads, but I'm just happy that I got to experience them for as long as I did. When your dreads get as long as mine were at the time, you realize it's a ton of work to maintain them properly and it get's really expensive too when you have to get them re-twisted + washed + dried every 2 weeks as I was doing for my long dreads for years.

i really appreciate this as a black woman, bcus not only do I have locs but i take and appreciate things from asian/Japanese culture as welll. It really just shows how beautiful life can be when we appreciate , share, and accept our differences more.

This is appreciation. People expressing themselves in a respectful way

As I've gotten older, I'm less bothered by people enjoying Black culture this way. I like when someone learns about and appreciates different cultures. These men weren't mocking Black people's hair. They showed more appreciation for it. Black people enjoy Japanese culture and other Asian cultures, too. I do understand that some Black people will not like it because of harm that they may have experienced in their past. Western society is very prejudicial against Black hair and we're just now making it unlawful to discriminate against our hair in America. We still have a lot to work through because of the trauma we experienced.

Takashii is a phenomenal interviewer!! He always asks the best questions. With every interview I’ve watched I learn something new. 🫶🏾😌 Also inspires me to visit Japan 🇯🇵 P.s I am a Black American woman 💅🏾

They wanna be us, but not our problems😂❤

As a person of African descent, I am honoured. The guys love and respect the culture and this is their way of showing it. Keep it up.

The difference is they acknowledge and respect it here in America they say "it's just a hairstyle " while mocking us etc I love the Respect they show

Looks great ! i appreciate it👏👍😎

As a brown skinned lady from Africa (Nigeria), it's very nice to see other cultures respect and appreciate one another. I love watching animes, and I speak basic Japanese but will learn it well this time @takashi. Thanks for this video because I have always been wandering what is on the mind of Japanese people and how they feel about accepting other cultures.

Interesting video! It's always fascinating to learn about cultural trends in other countries.

they look really nice. i love it

Everybody had dreadlocks before the comb was invented.

As a black American, this was really cool to watch. I honestly had no idea Japanese people were interested in our culture. Thank you for this video 😊 it definitely was beautiful to watch❤️.

I am African and I appreciate this completely. Culture is meant to be shared and that is how culture is grown I personally adore Japanese culture and this has made me learn how to speak Japanese. To see Japanese embrace our culture brings a tear to my eye and I would like to tell all of you that we do appreciate your love and dont be afraid to show appreciation for other cultures just because of a few people ☺

Great interview ❤

Looks pretty cool 😎

It's really interesting seeing other folks wear dreadlocs and such, especially knowing that it comes from a place of appreciation and not a place of wearing it as a mere costume like most ppl do. But i can't help but feel a bit put off about it all since as a black woman, wearing my hair in its natural state or in any protective style will end up with me being ridiculed, fired from workplaces or harassed (i mean, there are literal laws in the US about my hair, that alone should say plenty) yet others can wear those hairstyles and be praised for it. Hopefully the folks in this video can stand up for Black folks when need be

I am African from UK. It's interesting to know that hairstyle factors into the individuals work life in Japan. For example, the gentleman that mentioned "long as my hair fits in my work helmet its not an issue". It would be completely different story here in UK. Thank you for the interview it was insightful.

Personally, I think they look great.

Love your videos by way very informative thank you

Black Rastaman here glad to see my culture get all this recognition. You rock these crowns with grace my brothers 👊🏿

As a South African (lol since people are specifying) I honestly think, if it's from a place of admiration it's cool. We all do different hairstyles today. The more the world blends into one the happier we will be. I understand what the issue was not so long ago, and I can't speak for every country but in my country natural hair and even neat dreadlocks does not make it difficult to get a job. I've had natural hair since I started working. I do twits, afro puff, temporary "dreads". If we attack people who say our culture is beautiful, we're going backwards.

Appreciation is always good and I have appreciation for Japan as well.

I enjoyed… thanks for sharing

As a black woman, I think it's lovely.. I love seeing people from all around the world appreciate the beauty of black cultural hairstyles ✨🥰👐🏾

I live in the Caribbean, Trinidad to be exact and Locs are a very common hairstyle but it goes much deeper than that, the spiritual aspect of it... So I don't like to use the term "Dreadlocks" because ain't nothing Dread about it.... Big up to all those Japanese guys who embraced this culture of Locs.... Love in the house 🙌🙏🏻🤗💖

I like it!

Finally! Lots of people NOT saying they shouldn’t be doing this! The same people that say this shouldn’t be done are the same ones using everyone else’s culture everyday!

Shit is crazy how the world(most not all) loves our culture but hates our skin. With that said I think this is dope. Japan has always been into this and many other things we brought to the world.

I really like that the second guy talked about the stigma associated with dreads, because there is a lot of ignorance when it comes to dreads and their maintenance. You can definitely and SHOULD definitely wash dreads and maintain them. They are also very versatile. You just have to take care of them. Overall, I think there is a very distinctive line between cultural appropriation and cultural appreciation. A lot of non-black people that wear dreads and take parts from black culture are very anti-black and that's where the problem starts. You don't get to profit off of black culture but then disrespect the very community whose culture you make money off of. That's not how this works. You need to also remember the historical significance of dreads and other natural hairstyles popular within the black community, and acknowledge how racism has made it hard for black people to wear these hairstyles because they are deemed "unprofessional". If you show the same respect to black people and give credit where it's while appreciating their culture, then that's a huge difference.

That tat was badass!

That was very interesting. Thank you for sharing.

Its a Great feeling to see the Appreciation for our Culture by other Cultures because I myself love Japanese Culture from Anime to certain styles of dressing. I think its pretty dope to explore and relate to other cultures besides your own. Long as you're being respectful

01:46 mans said he looks up to lil nas x. he has to be trollin lmao

love this

Back in 1980 the first japanese group invited to soul train was the yellow magic orchestra known for their electro beats and inspired western DJs to create the beats knows for brakedancing one of the elements of hiphop pop locking, free style steps etc. Japan was also the first asian country to promote rap and hip hop and were also the fisrt country to invite rap artists and learn about the african american culture and fell in love with it, a lot of the new generation doesn't really know about it but african american hiphop and japanese street culture have walked hand by hand for the past 40 years so its understandable how young japanese generations love the african american culture and make it part of their everyday life even though there's still a small percentage that see it as appropriation. By looking back at the history I know is more appreciation than appropriation Japanese inspired the western Y2K style with their Harajuku culture so I must say that it's cool to see how other countries take a culture and appreciate it.

its really cool how cultures are blending now more than ever but instead of through imperialism and violence, its through the internet and admiration for other cultures. its honestly tight as hell.

They all look awesome

Cool vibes!

This just goes to show how powerful music can be for cultural exchange. I think next to food it's one of the strongest mediums for this.

i love how respectful they are about it. like they seem like they genuinely have a love for black culture and appreciate its beauty. i love that they’re appreciating our culture rather than appropriating it🤎

They look great ❤

This is my favorite video ever from @takashiifromjapan ! If I could speak Japanese I would already have a job and live in Tokyo Thank you for sharing

fire vid bro. coming from NYCC!!!!

I loved the interview with the older gentleman who has had his dreadlocks for over a decade, his appreciation for Reggae music and knowledge of Rastafarians which led him to make the choice to get them, in addition to the ladies that is. Hopefully the younger ones will keep theirs also and not have a difficult time with work etc as we grow as a society and embrace various cultures and practices and express our appreciation of such.

Im hearing my people but im not seeing my people..

i think this is very beautiful and i loved getting their perspective on it. at first i looked at the video like wtf but this was so genuine and wasn’t appropriating. the respect and love for the culture is ❤❤

In my opinion it's great. Just like people love japanese culture and style here they're appreciating black culture. One thing is that Japanese people really try to learn and educate themselves about a culture they're into. I remember some years ago they protested a hair company for saying a black woman's hair was crazy in their ad and got it taken down. No international coverage, they simply did it because they knew it was wrong. I really have hope for this generation !

Its actually looks good on them all😊

It’s good to finally see the cultures of the world embracing each other rather than hating one another. I feel it’s beautiful they are learning more about the melanated culture and embrace it. The meaning of locs are highly spiritual. Great video. ❤

Loved this video! The culture appreciation warms my heart. Especially the guy with the perm! I hope afros get trendy in japan because that would make it better for people with natural afros to feel more normal when going abroad. Japanese people wouldn't be so shocked to see how much our hair is so different compared to theirs.

Theyre all so dang goodlooking

Waaait a second 😭😍 Im fw it

It's such a positive connection! I love how honest all of them were. Gotta love the dread community! ✌️😊🌸🌿

This is really showing appreciation that what I see and feel.

Great content ❤

Same way we fw anime nd shit so hard this is wavy bro.

I think it's cool how we both appreciate each other's cultures

This sort of thing has been going on since at least the 80s. I remember seeing a documentary at that time about a whole Japanese subculture dedicated to Black clothing, music, hairstyles, etc. There was a young Japanese lady who went on Showtime At The Apollo and sang Through The Fire note for note like Chaka Khan even though she didn't speak English. Bobby Brown's name was slang for cool or fly. I found it fascinating and not offensive at all

the second dude got the hair, the stance, and the lips going on😂😂

The dreads do look really nice on them!

Hi Takashi, Since many of the people you spoke to love black culture, I'm curious to know: Do they have black friends? How they feel about racism / anti-blackness in America and other western countries? How do they feel about racism/anti-blackness in Japan? Do they use the N-word? If so why? Since everyone you spoke to is a man, I'm ESPECIALLY curious: Are they friends with/dating black women? How do they feel about black women? I think the answers to these questions, can really say a lot about whether their interest in black culture is genuine or shallow (i.e. is it cultural appropriation?)

The main problem has always been double standards more than anything else. A black person wearing dreads getting mocked/degraded, told its unprofessional , while someone else who's not black getting praised for being "cool, nature loving, manly/feminine etc etc", these are my thoughts before watching the video