Japanese female beauty practices and ideals
Japanese female beauty practices and ideals are a cultural set of standards in relevance to human physical appearance and aesthetics.
[1] Concepts of female beauty originate from its traditional culture which has lasted for more than a century, some of which include long, straight black hair,[2] pale white skin, and slim eyes.
[1] According to Kowner and Ogawa, the modern concept of physical attractiveness in Japan emanates from distinct, native traditions that have persisted for more than a century despite pervasive Western influence of values and ideals.
[7] Plump, round faced women were considered beautiful in this period, symbolising wealth as they were able to afford a lot of food.
In essays written in 1002 called The Pillow Book, Sei Shōnagon, a court lady stated that she envied "beautiful, very long hair".
The onna-musha (female warriors) acquired skills in martial arts, archery, and horse riding since families fought together.
[7] Slim and fragile women with up turned eyes and narrow faces also began to be the ideal, shifting away from the preference of plumpness.
[8] Small hands and feet were also considered beautiful, therefore socks and rings were worn by women in their sleep to slow down the growth of their limbs.
[8] After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, there was a westernisation of makeup techniques and clothing from the influence of the cultural exchange with the United States and Europe.
[15] In feudal Japan, as there was little influence from other countries, beautiful women in ukiyo-e were portrayed with slim eyes and single eyelids.
Japanese women admired the beauty of Westerners, and Mikamo considered these desires, and through his surgical efforts he opted to satisfy their claims in which he was successful.
[17] To only achieve westernisation was not the purpose of the surgery, it was to reduce the traditional Japanese look, which was considered too submissive, and to instead reflect the new liberated feminine beauty.
[19] During the Meiji restoration there were aims of building a new modern economy, and the government also sought to modernise the appearance of the Japanese society.
[20] In 1914, the government banned female eyebrow shaving in urban areas, as well as tooth blackening as it was thought to be barbaric by Western ideals.
[20] Increasingly the younger generations have been seeing sun-tanned skin as an indication of wealth and privilege, as they are able to afford summer holidays overseas by the seaside.
[20] By the start of the 20th century, older women were considered more beautiful, and the cosmetics industry had introduced anti-aging products such as creams, and practices of dyeing hair.
[20] This was fundamental in skin care brands as it assured women their youth could be restored, a highly valued beauty ideal.
[22] Traditional cosmetics were viewed as dangerous and the maintenance of clear pores became a serious aspect, especially due to the Nakamura Incident of 1887, where a kabuki actor was wearing heavy makeup on stage and then suffered from "skin suffocation".
[22] After the Equal Employment Opportunity Law (Japan) in 1985, the makeup style for women was heavy, emphasising their facial features by contouring, colouring in their eyebrows dark, and using deeper lip shades.
