What is the name of the Japanese tradition of women cutting off their hair?

Well a lot of women do that when they want closure, its not just Japanese women. Cutting the hair is symbolizing letting go. In a lot of Asian movies a woman will be so distraught she will cut off her hair. It just shows that you are moving on. I cut my hair when I broke up with my boyfriend to show that I wanted to be free of the negative feelings. It made me feel a lot better (I am not Japanese).

The only custom that has a cutting of the hair is in Sumo. So just like any other woman, she cuts her hair to show that she is moving on, heartbroken, wants a change. Before women didn't cut their hair they left it long.

But if people are Buddhist and they enter the monastery men and women will shave off their hair to symbolize that they are detaching from the world.

Hope this helps.