Veggie Boys vs. Carnivore Men

Posted by Jonelle Patrick on December 1, 2012 in Beauty Secrets, Made In Japan | 4 Comments

I guess it was inevitable: the species of Japanese males who have come to be known as “grass-eating men” (sōshoku danshi) now have their own beauty brand: VegeBoy! Guys who obsess about every little facial imperfection can now chase pulchritude without furtively buying any pastel packaged products! The VegeBoy line includes everything from facial masks to eye cream, and is sold in mainstream beauty departments in places like Shibuya Loft.

I’m not sure I buy some of the conclusions of the study that brought “Herbivore Men” into the spotlight (that they aren’t interested in women, for example – don’t get me started on how the economy in Japan has been disrupting normal patterns of dating, marriage and childbearing for a generation now <SNORE>) but the emergence of a brand that proudly trumpets “vegetarian man” shows how a label that started out being something of an insult has now been embraced and turned into a uniquely Japanese subculture.

Of course, Carnivore Men still exist, in numbers great enough to support beauty brands of their own. For example, how’s a man to keep his mohawk stiff if he runs out of…

If you’d like to visit the Loft store in Shibuya the next time you’re in Tokyo, a map is on my website, The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had.

Jonelle Patrick is the author of the Only In Tokyo mystery series, published by Penguin/Intermix.