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Since coming hither in 2008, I've gotten to have some downright fascinating discussions near Japanese civilization and why certain aspects of the civilisation are the manner they are. A subject area that's been discussed and rehashed, fourth dimension and time over again, is Japanese beauty.

Before you call me a chauvinist and put my caput on a fasten, please hear me out. I've had these conversations with more Japanese women than I have with Japanese men.

It's intriguing to hear how the conversation on "skillful looks" varies from person to person, from men to women and from country to country. Dazzler is a topic that pervades every culture and lodge.

Whenever I overhear, eavesdrop on, Japanese conversations nigh aesthetics, my curiosity ever gets the better of me. While minor things differ from conversation to conversation, some features (whether it was a man or a adult female talking) are mentioned over and over again.

And then here'south a list of the nearly common ones I hear, here list of the 8 Standards of Japanese Beauty:

1. LIGHT/WHITE Peel

Ayase Haruka is seen as ane of the near beautiful actresses/models in Japan. She is known for having beautiful skin. I think I only drooled a bit...

While smooth, clear skin is considered a adequately universal standard of dazzler, in Japan it seems the lighter the pare tone the more beautiful it is.

The Japanese lighter pare phenomenon is a true mystery to me (said the brownest man in the room).

Could it be historically linked to Japanese geisha? The 19th century, female entertainers who donned kimonos, white makeup and carmine lipstick accents; the quondam tiptop of Japanese beauty and elegance.

Or maybe, in a bygone Japanese era, your pare symbolized they type of family unit you came from. Darker pare meant you were function of the lower, working class while lighter pare was characteristic of nobility? If yous've never read the book Shogun by , I recommend information technology. Information technology's a great story that showcases bug like this, ones that divided commoners and nobility in feudal Japan.

Regardless of its origin, skin is a HUGE issue for women all over Japan.* Pure, white, unblemished skin is extremely coveted here.
* I'm not sure how much this standard affects the southernmost areas of Japan i.east.-Okinawa/Kyushu)

If you've been here in Japan during the summer, tell me if yous tin can relate to this. Y'all're lurching to the supermarket in 10,000+ degrees heat, dripping sweat (in your your shorts and tank top) when a Granny Bike Ninja whizzes past yous.

A Granny Bike Ninja is a slightly older woman (early 50's & over perchance) who has every piece of exposed skin covered during the summer:

JAPANESE GRANNY Cycle NINJA WEAR

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• The warmest pants you can discover,

• Gloves that stop at the elbow,

• A kerchief or scarf, and

• No Bike Ninja Granny is complete without her giant, black visor…

​

​The reason you see woman then covered up on these hot summertime days is primarily for peel protection. You know how tanning in America is considered cool? Non and then much in Japan.

2. THE Loftier-BRIDGED NOSE

I call back having to become a True cat browse once at the Tsukuba University Hospital and every bit I was about the get in, one of the younger female nurses/trainees got super shut to my face and told me "Sugoi! Hana ga takai." She was admiring the bridge of my olfactory organ. I found this pretty interesting considering in the U.S. I've gotten the occasional "big olfactory organ" annotate, which I never actually minded so much.

What makes a loftier bridge nose more desirable in Japan? If we just look at Western vs. Eastern corrective surgery patterns, we tin go a bit of a hint. Information technology'south ever fascinating to observe out what kind of corrective surgery people have done to brand themselves more "beautiful."

Information technology seems that no matter where you go, people want a more than "exotic" look. Some people take the give-and-take exotic to mean rare, simply let's change the word to "foreign" or "dissimilar" in this example. In the U.S. What to people usually have done to their noses? They get a skilled plastic surgeon to hack a their noses to brand them smaller while plumbing equipment the natural contour of their faces.

In Japan, in Asia, it'south the opposite, and stronger, college, slightly bigger nose bridge makes y'all unique, information technology makes you exotic. I've talked to women in Japan who have literally told me that they hate their noses because they're too pocket-size! I guess every club has some type of physical appearance complex to deal with.

3. SMALL/SLIM Face up

After i particular Aureate Week holiday (one of the of import holidays in Nihon), I remember request a Japanese friend how his vacation was. He had taken a trip to Hokkaido and began to tell me about how good the nutrient was and how beautiful the women were. Curious, I asked him why the women in Hokkaido were so beautiful? "They accept beautiful, white skin and slim faces," he replied. Though information technology wasn't an incredibly in-depth word about what makes a women pretty here in Nihon, I never forgot what he said.

The slim/small face comment is one that I've heard endless times. And then much so, that I would say it ranks as one of the top three beauty comments that I've heard.

I recall having a coworker once who I thought was gorgeous, merely she was often down on herself because she was slightly heavier than the average Japanese women and had a round face. When anyone would tell her how pretty she was, she would kind of brush it off every bit something she couldn't actually believe.

4. THIN/PETITE

Exercise you know the expression "ぼんきゅぼん (Bon Kyu Bon)？" Well in Japanese it's kind of like onomatopoeia just not exactly. This expression is used when talking almost a adult female's body shape. The first "bon" symbolizes a large bust, "kyu" means having a small waist, and "bon" means having a large curve at hips. Bon kyu bon is the Japanese equivalent of an hourglass figure.

On the Japanese beauty scale, I think the thin, slim, or petite woman trumps the i with amazing curves. Of course there are exceptions and personal preferences, only I recall in full general this is the case.

This is probably the only standard on this list that's a bit of a toss-upwards. I had this conversation with Japanese men and women and it seems that no two people will accept the same answer. I recently asked a Japanese friend (woman) "Which is more pop? The hourglass figure? Or the slim/petite one? She said the hourglass figure.

When asking a male Japanese friend the same question, he insisted on the slim/petite physique. It's kind of hard to tell which is generally more than popular.

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Every fourth dimension I see ane of these I cringe. I can't be the only one who thinks it looks like a torture device.

5. CURLY EYELASHES

Every time I come across i of these I cringe. I can't be the just one who thinks it looks similar a torture device.

How practise we know curly eyelashes are a standard of beauty in Japan? Here's how. 1 of these days when yous're on the train you lot may come beyond a immature lady who decides to have a full-diddled makeup session on the train ride to work.

When she finishes putting on pulverisation, she may pull out a contraption that looks a lot like a torture device. This "device" was made to curl eyelashes into submission.

Another thing that I've seen (non actually a fan, though) is the women wearing the OBVIOUSLY fake eyelashes. Generally information technology's younger women who wear them, or who sit on the train and glue them on, merely if they expect fake, doesn't that kind of defeat the purpose?

Once more some aesthetic features are universal and eyelashes ( are one of them. It's why women here, women in the U.S., Europe and endless other countries apply mascara to make thicker, fuller, curlier lashes.

half dozen. THE DOUBLE EYELID

Since nosotros're in the middle surface area, we have to mention pinkish elephant in the room, probably i of the biggest ones on this entire list, the double eyelid! In Japanese they say "Futae (二重 – ふたえ) or Futae Mabuta (二重まぶた – ふたえまぶた)"

Why is the double eyelid a biggie? Well I've asked well-nigh this one, and the best respond I've heard was that having a double eyelid make the eye look bigger. I assume bigger optics are more beautiful here in Japan.

The eyelid thing is one I don't think I'll e'er fully understand. Personally, I've never looked at a woman and been similar "Eww! Dude, she'due south not beautiful at all considering only has a single eyelid! There'south no way I'one thousand dating her." Just sounds kind of crazy to me.

7. LONG LEGS

Have y'all have snuck a peek a Japanese adult female standing on train with a pair of astonishing legs? Information technology's okay you lot can admit it, I won't tell anybody. Women y'all tin admit it, too. Well I think this is i Japanese women's best avails. There are Japanese women with great legs!

The fashion I know great legs are important is considering of how many women show them off regardless of the flavour. I've been sitting downwards, shivering, on the train in the winter and I've seen mini skirts brusk enough to nigh show a flake of stockinged butt cheek. Sad, but you lot're not gonna hear me complain about that…non even a piddling scrap

I besides know this a standard from beingness a fellow member at Gold'south Gym. My Gold's Gym has quite a few women who compete in physique competitions. Some of their bodies put mine to utter shame. Once you've had some time to railroad train aslope them and talk to them, you lot get a sense of some of their body insecurities (we ALL have them). I matter I've heard (several times) is women who wish their legs were longer.

8. A POLITE, Quiet PERSONALITY

They say beauty is merely peel deep, just I disagree. Beauty can come from a woman'southward personality/demeanor, too. A adult female with a gorgeous exterior and a rotten core, or an abrasive personality kind of takes her down a few pegs on the ole attractiveness meter. At least in my eyes it does.

In Japanese culture, from the outside looking in, it seems as though personality and mannerism play a large role in how "beautiful" y'all are. An extremely poised/polite/elegant woman (think kimonos, hair pinned up, seiza (sitting on your heels), hands in the lap) is considered to exist be more cute than say a wild and crazy, or brash one (think political party daughter, loud, drunk, or even rude).

I remember one center-aged woman on a train who was talking with her friends, albeit louder than is comfortable for near Japanese commuters. I remember seeing an older gentlemen who looked at the woman in disgust. He mumbled nether his jiff 『バカみたい』(Baka Mitai) . This translates to mean ("Like an idot." or "Such an idiot"). This instance showed that louder women (I think loud people in full general) can literally be frowned upon.

While these are some of the typical characteristics I've heard hither in Japan, beauty is relative. What'southward attractive to me might not be bonny to y'all. What'south bonny to you lot may not be attractive to someone else. How "beautiful" someone is volition be a contend that rages on until the terminate of time.

Quiz Time!

We've discussed the features that people consider beautiful in Japan.  But how well do you know these feautures? More specifically, how well do you know the anatomy of the face in Japanese? Take the quiz below to find out!

Near the Writer

Donald Ash is an Atlanta, Georgia-born, American expat who has been living in a Japanese time warp for the last 11 years. While in that time warp, he discovered that he admittedly loves writing, blogging, and sharing. Donald is the creator of thejapanguy.com blog. Wanna know more about this guy? Check out his "What's Your Story" page.

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Source: https://www.thejapanguy.com/japanese-beauty-standards/