Japan, is widely known for origami, the art of folding a kimono, ikebana and many such arts that require patience and discipline and seek to "beautify" the environment. However, in this document we will study the Japanese notion of beauty as it is applied to women. What does it mean to be beautiful, in Japan? Is the current vision of beauty in the country the same as it was in the past? Is there no criterion other than pure beauty, which is of importance to the Japanese woman?
Given the recent Japanese trends, particularly in fashion, which are often original and sometimes misunderstood and criticized, one might wonder whether the criteria of traditional Japanese beauty are changing. Thus, we will first compare ancient and modern conceptions of feminine beauty in Japan and then detail the current trends. These may be perceived as extremes, but we will then seek to place the magnitude of this change in perspective, by asking about the possibility of a return to traditional values of beauty by the Japanese woman.
We all remember an image of the traditional Japanese beauty: milky complexion, almost white, very red lips and black hair drawn into a bun like the geishas. In fact, the Japanese have always devoted much care and attention to how they look, and beauty has now become a veritable cult.
It is from the tenth century, in the Heian period, the women begin to make up their face in white, symbolizing purity and aristocratic distinction, thus opposing the bronzed faces of the women who worked in the fields. "At that time”, according to Dominique Buisson, author of Body of Japan, “when the aristocratic families were in power, they set down the codes that would define beauty for centuries to come."
Geishas, following rituals and strict rules, were worthy representatives of this classic beauty, which has become so famous in the West. From makeup to the art of wearing kimonos, they mastered perfectly "the art of being beautiful" as then conceived by the Japanese. All that remains today unfortunately are 3000-5000 geishas, mostly in Kyoto , we can then wonder if they are about to be dethroned by the "new beauties" of contemporary Japanese society.
Japanese women today still take as much care of themselves as in the past, but if we are to believe what one sees in the streets, the standards of beauty seem to have changed and the time of the geisha seems very distant now . The white chalky complexion, once prized, has been replaced by a tan; focus is now overwhelmingly on flawless skin, an imperative for the Japanese. "On average, they spend € 300 per month in products and spend about an hour each morning before their mirrors," says Nathalie Omori, founder of Parissmooz.com site, dedicated to the Japanese market.
If Japanese women are very attached to makeup and facials, it will not be long before they unleash their creativity in clothing. By the way, they want to free themselves from the "snapshot" of the geisha in kimono, an image of a woman now obsolete in a rapidly changing Japanese society.
Tags: Japanese perception of beauty, kimono, geisha
[...] How about the Japanese concept of female beauty? For Japan, is the meaning of being beautiful synonymous with "being nice"? Does the traditional concept of beauty exist in Japan even today? Are there any other criteria other than the concept of “pure beauty” important for the Japanese woman? Given the trends that have been undermining Japan in recent years, particularly in terms of fashion trends often original and sometimes misunderstood and criticized, we may indeed wonder whether the criteria of the Japanese traditional beauty are not changing. [...]
[...] So the transformation of the country and the society has been in tandem with the transformation of the woman and her desires. The Japanese are now moving away from the traditional inhibition they are renowned for (at least in part) and do not hesitate to splurge on themselves to look good. II - When beauty meets fashion 1.The cult of fashion The Japanese have always been very concerned with their appearance and are now more than ever strongly attracted by fashion trends. [...]
[...] ) The "kawaii" phenomenon Kawaii (可愛い or more often かわいい, pronounced [kaw aii]) is an adjective meaning "cute" or "adorable." It may designate persons or even animals that have an endearing quality. Products based on kawaii characters are extremely popular in Japan, especially among young people and women. We can consider the characters in manga and anime with simple lines and expressions that are very childish as part of the kawaii movement, as well as outfits for girls as we have seen previously. [...]
[...] Yet the eccentricities of fashion persist and have become a veritable social phenomenon. These women and girls flashing their unique style, as seen in Western magazines as "Japanese" are merely caricatures, and do not represent the entire female population in Japan but the phenomenon is alive and more or less well pronounced. For in the minds of the younger generation today, it is of paramount importance to be fashionable and therefore follow trends, as well as to be branded in a conspicuous manner, with the aim of flaunting their fashion sense. [...]
[...] In fact, the Japanese have always devoted much time and cult like dedication to how they look. It is from the tenth century, in the Heian period, that Japanese women began to make up their face in white, symbolizing purity and aristocratic distinction, thus opposing the bronzed faces of the women who worked in the fields, and they shaved their eyebrows so that they could better redraw the eyebrows as they wished. "At that time, according to Dominique Buisson, author of Body of Japan, when the aristocratic families were in power, the codes they laid down defined beauty for centuries to come." Geishas, following rituals and strict rules, were worthy representatives of this concept of classic beauty, which has become so famous in the West thanks to the media. [...]
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