Blogpost 4: The Herbivore Way

Countless times have I mentioned that masculinity is one of the issues always lurking Japan’s herbivore men.  From my previous blogposts I have already established how different these herbivores are in comparison to conventional Japanese males.  In terms of traits of manliness and intimacy for the opposite sex herbivore men truly proved to us that change is a constant variable in this world. But aside from looking at the masculine traits of these herbivores another way of understanding this unique gender group is to spend a day or two in their shoes.  In this way we can tap their psychological component and discover where these herbivores are coming from.  So for this blogpost let us carefully look into two important aspects of the herbivore lifestyle.

I.     The Value for Wellness

In western society herbivore men are considered as the breed of males called metrosexuals.  Most scholars cannot help but notice the close similarities between herbivore men and metrosexuals especially in terms of hygiene and fashion.  Both show signs of being too concern about their physical features and appearance since they are really sensitive as to how people perceive them attractive or not.

A study by Ms. Linda Tuncay entitled “Conceptualization of Masculinity among New Breed of MaleConsumers” made a clear description of metrosexuals.  According to Ms. Tuncay The term metrosexual was first coined by theorist Mark Simpson in his 1994 book Male Impersonators Men Performing Masculinity.  This type of new man emphasizes appearance fashion and material goods. These men often described being in good shape having style and being well groomed as all-important characteristics of masculinity.

Following this concrete definition of metrosexuals we can clearly see that herbivore men share parallel traits with them. 

I have come across Ms. Christina Akiko Tamaru’s research entitled “The Herbivorous Men ofJapan: Negotiating New Masculinities”.  Ms. Tamaru stated that The sôshokukei danshi are relatively young members of society who have adopted these beauty practices simultaneously as a marker of their subscription to youth culture and also as an element of performed deviance from conventional masculinity. Beauty products and beauty salons which specialize in areas such as hair removal weight loss and skin care became an avenue for young men to employ these practices as part of their masculinity.

But no matter how closely similar metrosexuals and herbivore men are there are still many things setting them apart.  Going back to Ms. Tuncay’s study she stated that For metrosexuals the importance of an attractive appearance was tied in part to attracting the opposite sex and assisting in the attainment of success in the workplace.  Now if we look back at my previous blogposts we know that herbivore men are not interested in committing to relationships.  And on top of that these herbivores are also not interested to successfully climb the corporate ladder since most of them are freelance workers. 

I think that Japanese male engagement with these forms of beauty work and enhancement in personal wellness not only challenges conventional gender constructions but also signifies evolution and change in Japan’s society.  We may also look at these practices as an attempt to express oneself in a conservative confined culture.

II.   Change in Career Outlook

In Japan the term salaryman is most commonly used to refer to masculinity.  One can even say that this word is a strong definition of men’s manliness.  But with the emergence of herbivore men even this term had undergone certain changes in meaning.

In a recent study by Mr. Romit Dasgupta entitled “Performing Masculinities" The Salaryman at Work and Play he made a vivid account of Japanese salarymen.  According to Mr. Dasgupta The salaryman symbolizes that everyman the kigyo senshi or corporate warrior without whom the postWorld War II economic miracle would not have been possible and who was both the beneficiary and the victim of its fallouts. Although the term salaryman and all that the term connotes gained widespread currency over the half century since the end of the war in actual fact the salaryman as a distinct model of masculinity emerged  or rather was created  in the context of Japan’s process of nation building and industrialization.

This description of Mr. Dasgupta made it clear that the role of salarymen is very critical not only in Japan’s economy but also in the overall nation building process.  Even though women also played a role in reviving Japan’s economy by being part of the labor force it is the males who are considered and seen as representing and important in this aspect.

Now how did the emergence of herbivore men change this perspective? 

I encountered Ms. Aulia Dwi Nastiti’s paper entitled “Redefining the Concept ofCounter Culture: Study Case of Soushokukei Danshii”.  According to her Result of some studies revealed that herbivore men are trying to refuse the conservative views in some aspects.  Soshokukei danshii show their dislike toward the salary-man routines with overtime works and hierarchical occupation as fundamentally unsatisfying as simply a doorway to a monotonous life of small rewards so they prefer part-time jobs while pursuing their passions.

An article by Mr. Justin McCurry entitled “Japan's Grass Eaters turn their backs on Macho Ways” supported this claim.  He stated that The rise of the herbivorous man has met with mixed reactions. Traditionalist employers complain that they lack the work ethic of older generations while commentators blame their sexual abstinence and relative thrift for the low birthrate and the weak economy.

III.     Perspective

     

            A person's lifestyle is equal to his was of living.For the herbivores I feel that their deviation from the conventional way is not just influenced by external factors in their environment. I sincerely believe that this is more related to their personal choice. This may be an opportunity to better them though it is not viewed as good by many people. It is simply a change in priorities.

    For me there is really nothing wrong with how herbivore men live their lives. I mean coming from a liberal point of view where individuality is encourage change in lifestyle may not be a bad idea. True that there will always be a negative perceived effects when someone does not conform to social norms. However I will always stand my ground that what is more important is how we treat and respect other people. Because at the end of the day he will not judge us by how we look rather by how big our hearts are.