Body image in the Japanese community.

[Moshi_Moshi_Emily]

I was wondering if the Japanese have a strict body image like America. The you're-only-pretty-if-you're-anorexic body image. Mostly among teenage girls. Any ideas? ☝

 

[Hachiro]

Interesting question, I can't answer from a "Japanese" point of view but I can say this.

I stand a bit over 193cm and weigh roughly 110 kg, fair build, love handles starting to show from too much :gulp: and :smoke:. Japanese people will sometimes say "Hey Hachiro....getting a bit FAT there now"

Then the next day I could get on an airplane go back to my home in the good ol' US of A, and my family will be waiting at the airport and asking me if I am healthy or ok because I look so think.

Go figure huh!

 

[Damicci]

Actually I know many thin Japanese women who think they are fat b/c Japanese do not like thier body. But compared to most american women they very thin. So I would say there is a typical look that is attractive to the majority of Japanese people. Majority per say, so this not blanket statement.

 

[Carlson]

yes. I know many Japanese women including my gf who are skinny and they think they are fat.

 

[kirei_na_me]

It's strange, because the Japanese women I know love the "curvier" figure that Western women tend to have(as opposed to the average Japanese woman). The ones I know admire larger breasts, supple behind, and rounder hips on, say, an American woman, but if they were to gain one ounce on either of those areas themselves, they would complain about becoming fat.

While my in-laws were here, they thought I looked great, but thought this friend of mine was too chubby. What's strange about that, is that this friend and I probably weigh the same, but my friend is just less proportionate. She is a true pear shape, meaning she is really bottom heavy. Which brings me to another thing about Japanese. They like balance. They like proportion. Whether it's the features on someone's face or their body. Anyway...

As far as body image and Japanese, it depends. They seem to be very, very hard on themselves, while accepting someone else who is less "ideal"(as far as society's view).

They're a complicated lot, believe me. And that goes for everything, not just body image.

 

[Davey]

yes. I know many Japanese women including my gf who are skinny and they think they are fat.

so true, my girl thinks the same.. want to loose weight, but compairing to Dutch girls she has a normal body....

I Don´t like skinny girls anyway.. I want to hold something

 

[yukio_michael]

I think, there are some pervasive beauty standards in Japan that can have some sorts of negative effects on those people trying to fit into them.

First, I think there is a bigger focus on "cute", rather than beauty, inclusive of the language used to describe those characteristics.

I have met many Japanese girls who claim that they are not, "cute like normal Japanese----", or some such phrasing, they do not see themselves as traditionally cute.

Obesity and disability is also an estranged topic in Japan, these things are rather isolated and outside what people consider to be normal.

Last, you'll find, and this was just reported again in I believe Time Asia, that Japan, as well as many parts of Asia, has no particular stigma for men to be very concious of their own appearance, hair, clothing, style, etcetera--- In the west this is sometimes seen as effette, but not so in Japan, where there are pretty common leg-waxing ads for example in many of the yankii style mags like Men's Egg, and Men's Knuckle...

 

[misa.j]

I think kirei discribed it very well. Many Japanese women admire taller and toned body image that a lot of Western women have, but I think what they really admire is the confident look in a balanced figure.

And, yes there are so many women who think they are fat even though they aren't, one of my best friends used to drive me crazy because she was always so self concious about her body and asked me if she looked fatter than the last time I'd seen her.

 

[DoctorP]

Which brings me to another thing about Japanese. They like balance. They like proportion. Whether it's the features on someone's face or their body.

That is exactly what I was going to say. I will add however, that even if a person is overweight or not particularly "pretty" they are usually still accepted in Japan. (at least from my observations) In the US people don't like to be seen with fat or "ugly" people (not everyone mind you) but in Japan, people tend not to put that much emphasis on looks.