A panchi pāma is a type of tightly permed male hairstyle in Japan. From the 1970s until the mid-1990s, it was popular among yakuza, chinpira (low-level criminals), (motorcycle gang members), truck drivers, construction workers, and enka singers. 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. The style is similar to the Jheri curl, which was popular in the United States during roughly the same time frame, but the curls in a punch perm are much tighter.
In the present day, few barbers are trained in creating the punch perm due to a fall in demand and the rise in Japanese men having their hair cut at salons, rather than barbershops.
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