Airlines / JL · Grooming
Japan Airlines — Appearance & Grooming
Japan's most polished cabin brand, and one of the more visibly reformed: JAL now allows spectacles, flat shoes, trousers and more natural styling while the underlying standard stays immaculate.
Grooming · Japan Airlines
- Hair
- Neat, secure and natural in colour. JAL's reforms allow more natural styling than the single prescribed chignon of the past, but hair must still stay clear of the face and of service.
- Make-up
- Natural rather than prescriptive. JAL dropped the heavily specified make-up standard as part of its grooming reform; restrained, groomed styling is what is expected now.
- Facial hair
- Male crew are expected clean-shaven; JAL publishes no beard allowance.
- Nails
- Short, clean and bare or in a pale natural shade. Nail art and extensions are outside the standard.
- Glasses & contacts
- Yes. JAL permitted cabin crew to wear spectacles from 2020, one of the headline changes in its grooming reform alongside flat shoes and trousers.
- Piercings
- One pair of small earlobe studs at most; visible facial, nose and body piercings are not part of the standard.
- Jewellery
- Minimal and plain — a watch, a wedding band and the issued badge.
- Tattoos in uniform
- No visible tattoos, enforced strictly in line with Japanese corporate norms. Treat any ink on the forearms, wrists, neck or hands as disqualifying rather than as something to cover.
- Headscarf
- Japan Airlines does not publish a headscarf policy and the uniform has no headscarf piece. Ask the recruitment team directly.
- Uniform
- A navy uniform carrying the crane crest, with a trouser option and flat shoes permitted since the reforms. Male crew wear a navy suit.
Grooming rules change more often than any other requirement. Verify them on the airline's official careers page before you buy anything or book a hair appointment.
Frequently asked questions
Can Japan Airlines cabin crew wear glasses?
Yes — JAL lifted the ban in 2020, and spectacles are now normal on board alongside flat shoes and the trouser option.
Can you have tattoos as Japan Airlines cabin crew?
No. Visible tattoos are not permitted and Japanese carriers enforce this strictly, so anything on the forearms, wrists, neck or hands will end an application.
How strict is JAL grooming?
Immaculate but modernised: trousers, flat shoes, glasses and natural styling are all now allowed, while tidiness and consistency remain non-negotiable. Verify on JAL's own recruitment pages, since these rules have moved several times.