Using the example of Japanese women, you can see how radically people’s ideas about beauty can change. For a long time, a deeply traditional society, developing in conditions of almost complete isolation, independently established rules and standards of beauty. At that time, beautiful Japanese women simply did not exist as a phenomenon. It took tens and even hundreds of years for the appearance of these women to finally be appreciated.
By the way, it has been noted that men are increasingly attracted to Asian appearance. And we propose to take a parallel look at the most beautiful Chinese women (after all, they have similarities with Japanese women).
The Japanese women's path to their beauty
In order to find out what Japanese beauties were like at least 100-200 years ago, you need to try very hard. All this is due to the fact that, due to the peculiarities of culture and worldview, people’s appearance received a very insignificant amount of attention. It is reliably known that the traditional phenomenon was the creation of the same appearance for all Japanese women.
The same procedures were performed on each of the girls—they plucked their eyebrows and drew identical ones for each one, whitened their facial skin, and blackened their teeth. For a European person this may seem like real savagery. Every married woman was required to wear modest clothes in pale shades that did not highlight their figure.
In sum, all this meant that visiting foreigners could not distinguish one woman from another. The individuality of Japanese women's appearance has been destroyed since childhood.
Over time, the development of the Japanese state and its individual subjects led to the fact that men from all countries came to the largest city, Edo, and spent a long time in each other’s company away from their families. This happened for many political and economic reasons.
The ruling elite realized the need for entertainment and recreation for representatives of the highest ranks. Rulers and nobles from all over Japan also brought with them their personal armed escort. And it also consisted of only men. As a result, a social institution was created in which geishas were trained. Who they are and what qualities of a geisha should be adopted by modern women, we read in our next article.
Geisha were specially trained girls who were obliged to entertain and please princes and other nobility in every possible sense - from sexual favors to small talk. Massive construction of special institutions and establishments began where geishas could provide services. These ranged from innocent bathhouses to official state brothels.
Geisha of this period can be called the first documented beautiful Japanese women. Due to their “service” they were obliged to look attractive not only to local clients, but also to visiting people from other countries. They were allowed to maintain their individuality, to avoid all the terrible and unpleasant procedures that awaited married ladies.
Since most of the foreigners who came to Japan were men, many laudatory notes appeared about Japanese geishas. Whether this was an objective judgment, or simply the happiness of the sailors who spent more than two months at sea, after a night with a skilled and submissive geisha, is unknown. All sailors willingly took advantage of the entertainment that the Japanese government offered them.
This increased interest in young Japanese girls was due to the fact that a period of mass emancipation began in European countries at that time. Western women have tried their best to throw off patriarchal shackles and boundaries and live on an equal footing with men. And Japanese women were very polite, calm, submissive and never contradicted the stronger sex. This drove the visiting sailors, including Russians, crazy.
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00:01 — November 16, 2018
We broke even
The sexiest and most famous women of the early 2000s
After Pamyu-Pamyu’s first concert in London, the press noticed (and it was hard not to notice) that the Japanese woman does not shine with vocal talent, and wins fans with her catchy style, not music. It is unlikely that Chiari was very upset by this statement of self-evidence: one way or another, it is style or music that brings money and fame. The singer herself admits that the lyrics of her songs don’t make much sense, so it doesn’t matter who listens to them - Japanese or foreigners: as long as everyone likes it.
And I like it. Using the example of the Pamyu-Pamyu phenomenon, one can write more than one dissertation on modern Internet marketing and synergy in promotion: not only she herself, but also many figures from various directions made money from her image. The mayor of Shibuya officially honored her with the title of “Harajuku Kawaii Ambassador,” Japanese brand GU made her the face of an advertising campaign (set to music from her single Fashion Monster), and cosmetics manufacturer Eyemazing featured her in an ad for their false eyelash brand Harajuku Doll.
The fashion for everything Japanese-kawaii-youth has long spread to Europe and the USA, and Pamyu-Pamyu was photographed for the French Elle, the British magazine iD, for Nylon. The Hollywood Reporter featured the Japanese woman on its list of “top-selling celebrities,” and the website of the cosmetics brand MAC interviewed her. Not stopping there, Chiari is “diversifying the range.” At the end of 2021, she organized an exhibition of her photographs, wigs and stage costumes in Harajuku, Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Artwork Exhibition 2011-2016. Later, a photo album-catalog of the Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Art Works 2011-2016 exhibition was released. One feels that Yoko Ono's acumen and methods are finding worthy followers in Japan.
Russians' view of oriental beauty2
It is a historical fact that several Russian writers from the beginning of the last century visited Japan and left their reviews of beautiful Japanese women. One of the “lucky ones” was Konstantin Balmont, who visited this country in 1916. He was very impressed by the grace, softness, elegance, and calmness of Japanese girls.
The writer praised their unusual beauty in every possible way, saying that after this he considered European and Russian beauty boring and gray. Balmont especially praised the Japanese dancers, who were, according to him, true professionals in this art. There was no vulgarity in them, only elegance, expressiveness and beautiful fragility.
Another Russian cultural figure who visited Japan was Boris Pilnyak. In 1926, he came to this country and recorded many vivid events and images that came across him on his travels. He also did not ignore young geishas, of whom there were already a very large number at that time.
Despite the fact that each of them was to some extent individual, they dressed up and behaved in a similar way. Mandatory elements were a floor-length kimono, a wide painted belt and wooden sandals.
What was particularly noteworthy in the opinion of the Russian traveler were the changes that occurred to women under the influence of a strong and heavy patriarchal culture. The girls changed psychologically: shyness, timidity and submissiveness were the only qualities they could and were willing to demonstrate.
Physiological metamorphoses also occurred to them - they were unable to move quickly due to the fact that from childhood their feet were wrapped in bandages so that even in adulthood they remained small and “childish”. Of course, Boris Pilnyak described all this with real delight, as if this was how it should be.
The public left Balmont's reviews without criticism, but Pilnyak, who lived in the Soviet state, had a hard time. He published the book “Roots of the Sun”, in which he described in detail and in a positive way everything that he managed to see.
The content of this book was subject to serious criticism due to the fact that he extolled and admired the oppression and exploitation of Japanese women, and considered cruel rituals and traditions to be correct and beautiful. He had to write another book in which he criticized his own words.
Murasaki Shikibu / Murasaki Shikibu (973 - 1025)
Writer
Shikibu is the author of The Tale of Genji, written between 1000 and 1012, during the Heian period. This work is considered the world's first novel.
At that time, women were deprived of the opportunity to study classical Chinese, but Shikubu's father gave her the opportunity to study with her brother. A precocious child, she immersed herself in studying the Chinese language, but hid her abilities so as not to incur the scorn of adults.
Living at the court of the imperial family, where she served as a maid of honor to Empress Akiko, Shikibu kept a diary in which she wrote about the activities of the fictional Prince Genji, supplementing it with various trifles from real court life. Such “poetic tales” represent a genre of poetic biography, in which reality is mixed with fiction, resulting in works of “Japanese prose.” Such writing found favor among women, especially court ladies, wives and daughters of courtiers, while men still preferred to write in classical Chinese.
An English translation of The Tale of Genji, consisting of six volumes, appeared in 1933.
The path to the image of a modern Japanese woman3
European culture began to deeply penetrate Japanese culture at the beginning of the last century. Geisha schools faded into the background. And this significantly influenced what women in Japan became. A particularly telling example is the period when advertising spread massively across the country.
The vast majority of advertising posters contained a female image. Even in this European technology, the Japanese tradition of turning women into service personnel has been preserved.
If alcohol was advertised, a Japanese woman was depicted pouring the drink into a glass. If there was an advertisement for watches or jewelry, then again the image was of a Japanese woman, who was holding out these same jewelry to the viewer. The only exception was the men's sake advertisement, which featured images of male sumo wrestlers.
First of all, under the influence of Europeans, the appearance of Japanese women changed. They abandoned skin whitening and instead used blush, which was very popular with foreigners. Imitating Europeans and the desire to please them led to the fact that girls began to paint their second eyelid so that their eyes did not look too Asian.
They even had to break the age-old tradition and smile widely, showing others a dazzling snow-white smile. Although showing teeth in Japan has always been considered a sign of rudeness and aggression towards the interlocutor.
Over time, Western culture almost completely replaced traditional Japanese clothing from the wardrobe of Japanese women. Already in the 70s of the last century it was difficult to find a woman in a kimono on the street. But such rapid changes did not occur on the psychological side.
Even modern Japanese women cover their mouths when they smile, so as not to show their teeth to the interlocutor, they move slowly and measuredly, although the long skirts of the kimono no longer constrain them. They wear European clothes - knee-length or shorter skirts, trousers, shorts, jeans. In general, everything that for a long time had nothing to do with their culture.
Masako Katsura / Masako Katsura (1913 - 1995)
Professional billiard player
"Katsy" was Japan's only professional female billiards player in the 1950s. She also became the first woman to play in a world billiards tournament.
Masako learned the game at age 13, thanks to her older sister's husband, who owned a pool hall. In 1958, she participated in 30 exhibitions, and the following year she appeared twice on American television (once on CBS, once on ABC). Masako married a US Army sergeant and moved from Japan to the United States.
Katsy wrote two books in Japanese about billiards: Introducing Billiards (1952) and Improving Your Billiards Game (1956).
She eventually returned to Japan and lived with her sister. 5 years after returning to her homeland, she died, this happened in 1995.
Sadako Sasaki / Sadako Sasaki (1943 - 1955)
Symbol of innocent victims of war
Sadako lived 1 mile from where the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. She was two years old then. The girl and her family managed to survive. However, when Sadako turned nine years old, she developed leukemia, a disease that affected many children in the area.
Sadako's friend told her the legend of a thousand cranes: if you fold a thousand origami cranes, that person's wish will come true. Sadako carefully folded paper cranes from whatever material she could find. But on October 25 of the same year she died without achieving her goal.
Sadako Sasaki serves as a symbol of children and other innocent victims of war. Using the funds raised, a memorial was erected in honor of Sadako in the Peace Park of Hiroshima in May 1958. Children to this day continue to fold paper cranes to decorate her memorial.
Sadako is a poignant reminder of why Japan included Article 9 (prohibiting war as a means of settling international disputes) in its Constitution.
Hanae Mori (1926)
Hanae Mori is the most famous female designer from Japan. She is also considered an icon of free women. Mori used fashion design to promote the interaction of aesthetic values between East and West.
As a young girl, Mori studied at a local sewing school. She later opened her own boutique in Ginza and created a clothing collection. She entered the world of high fashion in Paris, influenced by Coco Chanel. In 1976, she opened a salon in Paris and was appointed a member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, becoming the only designer from Japan to be included in Haute Couture.
Maury's designs have appeared on the cover of Vogue magazine. Her designs include uniforms for Japan Airlines flight attendants, uniforms for Japanese athletes at the Barcelona Summer Olympics, and a kimono and wedding dress for Japanese Princess Masako. Mori also has a perfume collection and a Hanae Mori Barbie doll.
Mori supports young designers through his Hanae Mori Foundation.
Yayoi Kusama (1929)
Artist
Yayoi Kusama was a leader of the avant-garde movement shortly after she moved to the United States (then in her 20s) and is said to have influenced artists such as Andy Warhol. She is also a direct participant in the minimalist and feminist art movements.
Kusama is known for her red polka dot designs. This whimsical theme has become her signature. Yayoi Kusama is best known for her installation art—she turns entire rooms into living tree trunks painted with red polka dots.
In 2008, one of her works was sold at Christie's New York for $5.1 million, a record for a living female artist at the time.
Once you see her art, you won't be able to forget it. Kusama opens up about his struggles with mental illness. She is staying at Seiwa Hospital in Tokyo, from where she travels to her studio.
Sadako Ogata (1927)
Diplomat
Few women are as impressive as Sadako Ogata, who served at the Japan International Cooperation Agency until she was 85. She was Chairman of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees from 1991-2001, on the Executive Board of UNICEF from 1978-1979, and President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency, where she served from October 2003 to April 2012.
Sadako Ogata, in addition to many international awards, has also received the Indira Gandhi Award and the J. William Fulbright Award for International Understanding. In 2001, she accompanied then Prime Minister Mori to Africa, marking the first visit by a Japanese prime minister to the African continent.
Sadako Ogata is beloved by her people for her compassion for the disadvantaged.
