Body Positivity & Confidence in Japan

Japan, like most other countries, has a set of beauty standards that are hard—near unhealthy—to reach, but body positivity and more acceptance is starting to increase.

Body positivity has come a long way in Japan, especially in terms of being more accepting of women who are larger than the average size. But that doesn’t mean outdated and hurtful attitudes have disappeared altogether. For many, the pressure to conform to a specific body type remains intense. Sometimes, it’s expressed in shockingly blunt ways.

“If you want to be worth anything in Japan, you’d better lose weight. Right now, you’re a joke and no one will take anything you do seriously. Forget getting married, too—no man wants to pay for your food bill.” (Japanese man, 27)

Being told something like that when your image of conversation in Japan is “polite and considerate” can crush your self-esteem.

Plus Size Visibility in Japan

Celebrity comedians like Naomi Watanabe, Barbie, Haruna Kondo from comedy duo Harisenbon, and the comedy group Morisanchu are all prime examples of pudgy girls being seen on TV and in mainstream media. Unfortunately, this is both good and bad.

Having a diverse range of women taking on public personas has made the issue of size and beauty more recognizable in Japanese society. On the other hand, most of these women are still often mocked in media. They’re called “fat,” “manly,” or other negative terms by other TV personalities. This is usually because they don’t fit traditional Japanese beauty standards. Naomi Watanabe has spoken out against this treatment publicly. She remains one of Japan’s leading body positivity figures for plus-size women.

The Reality For Japanese Women

© Photo by iStock: shih-wei

Being thin or even underweight is considered more desirable by Japanese women across the nation. In fact, the Japan Association for Eating Disorders and Japan’s Health Ministry have both found that women in their 30s-50s are going to extreme measures to be as thin as pop icons in their teens and early twenties.

According to a nutritionist I spoke with, “while the life expectancy rate for women is almost 90 years old, most of those women are woefully underweight, suffering from osteoporosis and other nutritional deficiencies, and take more medication than their mothers’ generation did.” Generally speaking, anemia, calcium deficiencies and poor diets overall are making Japanese women suffer for the sake of perceived beauty.

A very quick text message to 10 Japanese female friends of mine confirmed this: if they had to choose between being two kilograms over or underweight, they all would rather be underweight. “I can put a little weight on and my clothes would still fit nicely, so being underweight would be nice.” (Yuki, 31) “Ugh, who would choose being fatter? No one.” (Miya, 29)

Self-Harming With Food

Eating disorders are rampant—according to the same nutritionist as above, there are “hundreds of thousands of women and men that are self-harming with food” and that “by the time they get help, it can be too late—the physical effects of the disease are well-documented but ignored.”

Japan is known for being one of the least obese countries in the world. 3.6% of Japanese people have a body mass index (BMI) over 30, while only 24.7% have a BMI of over 25. There is also the infamous 2008 “Metabo Law”. It was essentially a “fat tax” that was designed to counteract the growing rates of diabetes and heart conditions. Companies were forced to pay financial penalties for workers who had a waist size over 85 centimeters for men and 90 centimeters for women. These workers, in turn, are required to undergo counseling and are actively encouraged to diet and “become better citizens”.

Cultural Contradictions

This obsession with thinness and lowering obesity/lifestyle-related illnesses seems counterintuitive if you’ve ever watched Japanese TV, picked up a magazine or gotten a souvenir from a coworker. Food is promoted extensively in Japan! Rankings of the best restaurants, limited-edition sweets, food trends taking over Instagram—food, especially rich, indulgent dishes, are promoted via every medium possible on an hourly basis.

It is not uncommon for women to pay near ¥5,000 to go to a dessert buffet only to Instagram photos of the extravagant sweets but not take a single bite. Date courses are even planned around snacking and dining—the idea of food meaning fun is very pervasive in Japan. You are meant to be thin, but to be able to eat “just enough” of a given trending food item to fit in with society. “My boyfriend wanted to have yakiniku for dinner on our date, so I skipped breakfast and lunch that day because I wanted to enjoy our meal.” (Aya, 34)

How Does This Affect Foreign Women in Japan?

© Photo by iStock: recep-bg

I’ve lived in Japan for over 10 years and am considered plus-size. My (former) Japanese doctor said I was at risk of dying from diabetes and a heart attack at any minute. According to a Canadian doctor I saw during a trip home, though, I’m perfectly average and in good health by their standards.

Being foreign in Japan means what’s considered average overseas is often seen as plus-size here. This is especially clear when going out shopping to find something like the perfect-fitting bra. That realization alone can be devastating. If you’ve ever struggled with weight or eating disorders, there are English-speaking counseling services available. TELL is one of the most well-known.

If you’ve never been confronted with this before, it can be hard to know how to react. You might feel defensive, laugh it off or take it to heart. I can’t say which reaction is right for you. What I can say is this: if you’re healthy and happy with who you are, there’s no need to change your body. You don’t have to meet Japan’s beauty standards. Dressing the way you want isn’t impossible here.

The Situation Today For All Women in Japan

© Photo by La Farfa Magazine

There are far more clothing options in today’s Japan than the frumpy tunics and baggy body-hiding suits from 10 years ago. The arrival of international brands like H&M and Zara has helped expand fashion choices. Japanese brands like Uniqlo and GU going overseas has also brought wider size ranges to local stores. There’s even a magazine dedicated to plus-size fashion.

La Farfa debuted in 2014 and bills itself as a fashion and lifestyle magazine for “marshmallow girls”. It comes out six times a year. “We don’t promote losing weight or gaining weight,” says Editor in Chief Kon, “because there are women who look gorgeous regardless of what they weigh.” You can find La Farfa online or in bookstores. Its glossy, body-positive pages show that no matter your body shape, you can dress how you like and be beautiful.

There are still conflicting views on body size in Japan. Being a plus-size girl isn’t easy. But hopefully, in the future, both Japanese and international women in Japan will feel happier in their bodies. Plus, the focus should be on being healthy and enjoying life.

Do you think body positivity is growing in Japan? Share your thoughts in the comments below!