A punch perm (パンチパーマ, panchi pāma^?) is a type of tightly permed male hairstyle in Japan that was popular among yakuza (mafia), chinpira (low-level mafia), bōsōzoku (motorcycle gang members), truck drivers, construction workers, and enka singers, from the 1960s till the mid-1990s. This hair style probably got its name from "needle punch carpeting", a type of floor covering with a short and tightly curled nap.

The punch perm began to fall out of usage as a result of its general association with the yakuza, as well as normal fashion trends. These days it is extremely rare to find anyone with a punch perm, regardless of their affiliations.

[edit] Variations

A variation of the punch perm that is worn primarily by bōsōzoku is called "aippa": both sides of the forehead are shaved to create a cross between widow's peak, an afro, and an exaggerated sculpted early 1960s pompadour.

Another variant is the "iron perm". While a punch perm is created with rollers and chemicals, an iron perm is created with a heated curling iron. This hair style often involves singeing the hair.

[edit] External links

• "Bosozoku (Bikers), Zeros in Stetagaya Ward"—Photo of bōsōzoku with punch perms, Leon Borensztein
• Photo of alleged yakuza members with punch perms
• Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld chapter 12, David E. Kaplan and Alec Dubro, University of California Press. ISBN 978-0520215627.

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