Japan trims hair-cutting laws in quake zone

Japan has relaxed laws on haircutting to allow barbers and stylists in areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami to clip and style at evacuation shelters or makeshift shops, a report said Saturday. The current law bans barbers and beauticians from cutting hair anywhere other than authorised shops, apart from for housebound customers or weddings.
The government has relaxed the regulations for a period of about two years starting this month, the Yomiuri Shimbun said. Many hairdressers' shops were damaged or destroyed in the March 11 quake and tsunami which wiped out whole towns along the north-east coast. The measure covers barbers and beauticians who cannot run their businesses as before or who are living in shelters due to the quake, the paper said.