• Popular hairstyles in Japan are inspired by anime.Angry one image by AirMan from Fotolia.com
  
  Japanese street fashion is known for its cutting-edge trendiness. Japanese anime in particular has influenced hairstyles among hip Japanese men. Along the streets of Tokyo, you'll be able to find many men sporting anime-inspired looks. Translating cartoon looks into real-life hairstyles is easy to do if you focus on a few key characteristics.
  
  

Choppy Layers

• Anime-inspired hairstyles are medium-length and layered. Layers are often choppy and asymmetrical, making the look edgy for young men. To display the style's many layers, use a flat iron to straighten the entire head of hair, section by section. After straightening, apply a dime-sized amount of pomade or wax to the ends of the layers to create a spiky hairstyle reminiscent of anime action heroes. Running wax throughout the layers creates a messy anime look.
  
  

Long Bangs

• Bangs are crucial to completing a Japanese anime hairstyle. In anime, characters often have their hair slightly covering the face, creating rebellious-looking bangs. These front layers can be straightened to sweep across the face or flipped back with wax to create dimension and volume.
  
  

Volume

• Japanese anime characters often sport exaggerated looks, including large eyes and big hair. Big hair is created by cutting choppy layers and drying the hair with a blow dryer to create volume. Volume can also be created by teasing the crown and setting the look with volume-enhancing mouse or hairspray. The bigger the hair, the more exaggerated the anime look will be.
  
  

Bold Color

• Highlights and streaks are also important when completing an anime hairstyle. While some men with anime hairstyles keep their hair black, others add bright streaks and chunky highlights to create a bold, exaggerated cartoon look. Blonde, blue and red are popular colors for streaks. These highlights are strategically placed throughout the hair, creating a multidimensional look.