This Real-Life Rapunzel Hasn’t Cut Her Hair In Over Fifteen Years

By Rebecca Drew

MEET THE stunning woman who calls herself Japan’s Rapunzel after going without a haircut for over FIFTEEN YEARS to grow out her FIVE-FOOT-TEN-INCH locks.

Dancer and model Rin Kambe from Tokyo, Japan, grew up with strict parents and as a child, her hair was always cut short because she was on the girl’s football team.

Rin started dancing and modelling when she was 20 years old and at the same time, she decided to grow her hair as a ‘weapon of expression.’

After 15 years of growing her hair out, Rin’s hair hits the floor and is an incredible 5ft 10in long which is an incredible four-inches longer than her height of 5ft 6in.

Rin calls herself Japan’s Rapunzel and says the secret to such luscious locks is eating foods that are rich in iron, having seven hours of sleep per night, and stretching and exercising daily.

Rin has a whopping 25.9K followers on Instagram and is inundated with messages of admiration from her fans – who include men who say they love her silky hair. Despite receiving messages of admiration from men, Rin admits that for some, her hair is a turn off as they think it is a ‘monster.’ Regardless of whether the reaction to her hair is good and bad, she’s flattered that people are interested enough in her to pass comment.

It takes Rin about three hours to wash and dry her hair which she does every five to seven days to keep it in pristine shiny condition.

“I grew up with strict parents and when I was a kid, I was on the girls’ soccer team and always had a short cut because of this,” said Rin.

“I grew my hair when I started dancing seriously at around twenty and my hair is now floor length.

“I began to grow my hair because I wanted to shine in my own way. It felt like my hair was a weapon of expression. It grew naturally and healthily and is a thing of beauty.

“I think the perseverance to keep doing one thing without giving up gave me confidence.

I don’t think I had the spirit to make the impossible possible without giving up before.

“I eat a lot of iron-rich food and eat a well balanced diet. I think sleep is very important and I have about seven hours every day. Exercise and stretching are also important.

“As an Asian, I’m proud of the beauty of Asia. My hair is straight, black, and I like the fact that people can feel like they’re in Asia in an instant by looking at me.

“I get a lot of reactions to my hair. There are men in the world who appreciate it and there are also people who think that it is a monster.

“I think it’s only natural that there are different opinions in the world and if I didn’t believe in myself I would be swayed by the negative opinions.

“I’m willing to accept other people’s opinions. Either way, I’m glad people are interested in me because I transform it into a strength that shines in my own way.

“I get asked, ‘Is that real hair?’ because people can’t believe I’ve grown my hair this long.

“I am very happy if people, men and women alike, feel amazing when they see my dance show and how I use my hair in my performances.”

Rin admits that her hair gets in the way of her changing her clothes and doing basic everyday tasks so she has to tie it up often but when dancing, she uses her hair as a prop in her performances.

“I can’t change my clothes or do anything unless I put my hair up. I change my outfits several times a day so it’s easier for me to tie it up,” said Rin.

“Due of my long hair, I was able to create a narrative dance show. The show is called ‘Japang Dance Show’ and is based on Japanese folk tales and world fairy tales.

“It’s important to have dreams and I think growing out one’s hair beautifully leads to an increase in a person’s confidence.

“I want people to like themselves and shine by growing their hair beautifully long.”