by David Kilburn

A defining characteristic of the Japanese used to be a shock of thick, straight, black hair. Not just any kind of black hair, but on women at least a graceful, glistening river of flowing color of the shade that formed an integral part of many fine ukiyo-e woodblock prints.

But not today. The hair of modern Japan is turning blonde, auburn, and chestnut. And sometimes even pink, green, yellow, or blue.

Makers of hair dye report soaring sales. Today, about 60 percent of the women in Japan color their hair, according to L'Oreal, a world leader in hair-coloring products. The figure includes people whose hair would be white or gray had they not dyed it black, blue, or red.

Fashion conscious Japanese women and more than a few men began coloring their hair about five years ago. A popular young singing starlet from Okinawa, Namie Amuro, sanctioned this break from tradition. Her bronzed skin and honeyed hair earned her the accolade cho-kawaii ("super cute") and liberated the tresses of a generation from the strain of following precedent. Last year more than 30 million kilograms of hair dye were sold in Japan — that's about 500 grams of hair dye for every Japanese woman older than 15.

Fashion gurus describe the trend as liberating, adding new variety and flair to notions of beauty and fashion where there was once only black. Other commentators, who sport black hair, talk about the decline in social values, a lost sense of direction, and a crisis in identity. But for the dedicated follower of fashion, the worst crisis in modern life is to teeter off balance when striding along in platform shoes.

As a social phenomenon, hair dyeing is now rivaled only by the growth in use of the mobile Internet, especially NTT DoCoMo's i-mode service. Both show that even after 10 years of economic depression, a liberating idea can reverse all the downhill trends. Not everyone has joined the move toward colored hair. Uniformed policemen, company presidents, bank officials, politicians, and millions of salary workers who commute to work each day continue to uphold a strictly black-haired culture — but who could spot the discrete application of black dye to graying temples? Despite the criticisms, hair dyeing is finding acceptance at nearly all levels of society. Even on NHK, Japan's slightly conservative public broadcaster, some TV newsreaders appear on air with hair dyed in decidedly light brown hues.

In politics, too, hair is high on the agenda. Public debate earlier this year about whether Junichiro Koizumi or Ryutaro Hashimoto should become Japan's new prime minister focused on the hairstyles of the two men. Koizumi's long hair and wavy perm suggested that he might provoke a sea change and help Japan shake off festering economic problems. Hashimoto's more traditional, slicked-back look suggested the old conservative ways of doing things. Not surprisingly, Koizumi triumphed.

No one suggested that either candidate had ever used hair dye. However, if Koizumi's policies do not put Japan back on a growth track, it will be no surprise if his successor sports more colorful locks.