Junior high and high schools in Japan are changing old and strict "black rules" by listening to students' opinions. These rules often included detailed controls on clothing and hairstyles. Some teachers worried that relaxing the rules would cause problems, but many schools have seen positive results. Students now feel more confident and trust teachers more.

At Yawata Junior High in Nagoya, students helped decide rules and plan activities. Once, the student council president even attended a ceremony in gym clothes by mistake, but the teacher praised it as "part of learning." Parents welcomed the changes, and some students who had skipped school started attending again.