Why are all Japanese high school baseball players BUZZ CUT?

The National High School Baseball Championship Tournament is held every spring and summer at Koshien in Japan and is a major event that attracts the attention of all of Japan. It's very moving to see high school baseball players give their all in this once-in-a-lifetime tournament. However, there is one unique aspect of the tournament that is interesting: every high school baseball player's hairstyle is a BUZZ CUT.

I have never seen a single ballplayer with long hair at Koshien. Why on earth do they all have shaved heads? There are two main reasons.

1. Tradition.
   Many high school students shave their hair voluntarily, not because of school rules. They shave their hair out of habit before joining a club. However, this is limited to baseball clubs, and many players have long hair in other club activities (e.g., football and basketball). Among Japanese high school ballplayers, there seems to be an image that the stronger the high school, the more shaved heads are the norm. Historically speaking, the reason may be that many boys had shaved heads around 1915 when high school baseball in Japan began.
2. School Rules
   There is no rule that requires shaved heads in most high schools, but in some high schools, the club rules require shaved heads. The reason for this is that they want the students to concentrate on baseball and that it is clean. The lack of freedom in hairstyle may be a human rights issue, but many high school students do not question this and accept it. Some students want to play baseball but do not want to have a shaved head, so they join other clubs. Some students say, "I want to play baseball, but I don't want to have a shaved head."

I have given reasons why high school ballplayers shave their heads, but I could not find any rational reason other than because it is clean. Perhaps the most important reason is the spirit of carrying on the tradition, which has been ingrained in the Japanese people since ancient times.

Various opinions were posted on the Internet about this.

Response:
Many of my friends around me didn't continue playing baseball in high school because they didn't want to shave their heads.
It seems to me that there are many things that need to be improved in the baseball world, such as unreasonable traditions and rules, including the monk system.

When I asked my coach why high school baseball players shave their heads, he said "determination”. I knew that in order to make it to the Koshien in high school baseball, you have to be prepared to devote yourself to baseball seriously

! I think that a person who is willing to shave his head for the sake of baseball will finally be able to stand at the starting line of high school baseball!

Japanese

日本にほんでは毎年まいとし、春はると夏なつに全国ぜんこく高校こうこう野球やきゅう選手権せんしゅけんが行おこなわれており、全国民ぜんこくみんが注目ちゅうもくする大だいイベントとなっています。高校こうこう球児きゅうじたちが一度いちどきりのこの大会たいかいに全力ぜんりょくで立たち向むかう姿すがたはとても感動的かんどうてきですが、一ひとつだけ気きになるユニークな点てんがあります。それは、高校こうこう球児きゅうじたちが全員ぜんいん坊主ぼうずだという点てんです。甲子園こうしえんに出場しゅつじょうする球児きゅうじで、長髪ちょうはつの人ひとはいままで一人ひとりも見みたことがないのです。いったいなぜ、全員ぜんいん丸坊主まるぼうずなのでしょうか？主おもな理由りゆうはこの二ふたつです。

1. 伝統でんとうだから
   多おおくの高校生こうこうせいが、学校がっこうの決きまりではなく自主的じしゅてきに坊主ぼうずにしているそうです。彼かれらは部活動ぶかつどうに入部にゅうぶする前まえに、習慣的しゅうかんてきに髪型かみがたを坊主ぼうずにしているとのことです。しかしこれは野球やきゅう部ぶに限かぎった話はなしで、他ほかの部活ぶかつ（例たとえばサッカーやバスケットなど）では長髪ちょうはつの選手せんしゅも多おおくいます。日本にほんの高校こうこう球児きゅうじの中なかには、強つよい高校こうこうほど坊主頭ぼうずあたまが普通ふつうというイメージがあるようです。歴史的れきしてきに見みると、日本にほんの高校こうこう野球やきゅうが始はじまった1915年ねんあたりには多おおくの少年しょうねんが坊主ぼうずだったことも理由りゆうとしてあげられるかもしれません。
2. 学校がっこうの規則きそく
   多おおくの高校こうこうでは坊主ぼうずにしないといけないという決きまりはありませんが、いくつかの高校こうこうでは部活動ぶかつどうの規則きそくとして坊主頭ぼうずあたまにしなくてはならないそうです。この理由りゆうは、「野球やきゅうに専念せんねんしてほしいから」「清潔せいけつだから」などです。髪型かみがたの自由じゆうがないことは人権じんけん的てきにも問題もんだいがあるかもしれませんが、多おおくの高校生こうこうせいがこれに疑問ぎもんを持もつことはなく、受うけ入いれているそうです。中なかには、野球やきゅうがしたいけど坊主頭ぼうずあたまにするのが嫌いやだから他ほかの部活動ぶかつどうをする。という生徒せいともいます。

高校こうこう球児きゅうじが坊主ぼうずの理由りゆうをあげてきましたが、清潔せいけつだからという理由りゆう以外いがいに合理的ごうりてきな理由りゆうが見当みあたりませんでした。おそらく、日本人にほんじんに古ふるくから根付ねづいている、伝統でんとうを受うけ継つぐ精神せいしんが最もっとも大おおきな理由りゆうかもしれませんね。

Words

全国ぜんこく高校こうこう野球やきゅう選手権せんしゅけん；National High School Baseball Championship

全国民ぜんこくみん；whole nation

高校こうこう球児きゅうじ；high school baseball player

坊主ぼうず；buzz cut

伝統でんとう；tradition

自主的じしゅてき；voluntary

部活動ぶかつどう；extracurricular activities

習慣的しゅうかんてき；habitual

野球やきゅう：baseball

サッカー；football, soccer

バスケット；basketball

長髪ちょうはつ；long hair

規則きそく；rules

専念せんねん；devoted

人権じんけん；human rights

清潔せいけつ；cleanliness

合理的ごうりてき；rational

根付ねづく；here to stay

精神せいしん；spirit