Japan vs. South Korea: Differences in Beauty Standards, Men, and Diversity
I have to say that when my friends said, “Guys, let’s go to Japan for our long weekend,” I was thinking, “Really? Why?” I have been living in Korea for a year now, and, visually speaking, it can sometimes be a little boring. I come from a culturally diverse family, so this situation has been the longest that I have been without diversity.
One of the things that you learn fairly quickly when you arrive in Korea is that, as a culture, they value unity. They like to look like a group, instead of standing out. Coming from America, that was so strange to me since we are always trying to stand out and be different and unique.
In Japan, the women seemed to not be worried about a certain ideal of beauty and were more interested in creating their own ideal.
Japan is the same way as America. It was so refreshing to get out of the terminal and see variety. Men and women had the freedom to dress as they please. You didn’t see couples walking around wearing the same outfits or groups of friends dressed in head to toe matching outfits. Japan had the feel of a much older city, and with that feeling, comes more individuality.
Since living in Korea, I honest to God have forgotten that men exist. No one looks at me, or checks me out; I am kind of like an invisible person walking down the street. It can definitely mess with your self-esteem, and I was beginning to think that I am not attractive. Thankfully, Tokyo reminded me that I am a beautiful woman, and my skin color has no bearing on my beauty. Men checked my friends and I out several occasions, and it felt really nice.
Sign up for a FREE online writing workshop here.
The men in Tokyo are so different. They have varying skin tones, different body types, tattoos, facial hair and punk hairstyles and just a bit more swag than Korean men.
Since living in Korea, I honest to God have forgotten that men exist. No one looks at me, or checks me out; I am kind of like an invisible person walking down the street.
When walking down the streets of Seoul, you will always notice that there is a beauty store literally on every corner. In Korea, women and men are completely obsessed with their appearances, and, as a result, there is a booming beauty industry here. I was surprised at how few beauty shops I saw in Tokyo. The women in Tokyo also weren’t covered in ten pounds of makeup.
There seems to be less pressure on the women in Tokyo to look a certain way. In Korea, the ideal woman is rail thin and very pale, and they will go to extreme measures to reach that goal. In Japan, the women seemed to not be worried about a certain ideal of beauty and were more interested in creating their own ideal.
The way to say foreigner in Korean is “waygookin,” and it is a word that I hear quite often here. No matter how long you live in Korea, you will always be a foreigner. Don’t get me wrong — the people in Korea are very friendly. They have been very sweet to me while I have been here. But when you visit a foreign country, you may ask yourself if you could you live there for an extended period of time.
With Korea, the answer is no. I think because Tokyo is an older and more well established city, foreigners may feel more comfortable there. No one cared that my friends and I were foreign, and we didn’t seem to be inconveniences to anyone.
I do love Korea, and it was a great place for me to experience living abroad, but it is still growing and becoming an international destination. I really enjoyed my visit to Japan, and I can’t wait to return.
Japan vs. South Korea: Differences in Beauty, Men, and Diversity
Related Reading
Curiosity, Ignorance and Racism in South Korea
3 Reasons Why South Korea Stole My Heart
Top 5 Reasons Why You Should Visit South Korea
Living in Japan: In Conversation with Ariel Annon
Top 5 Japanese Etiquette Blunders You Must Never Commit
Japan Travel Tips: Ariel’s Take on Health, Safety and Romance
6 Things that Surprised Me about Life in Japan
Have you traveled to Japan or South Korea? What were your impressions? Email us at [email protected] for information about sharing your experience and advice with the Pink Pangea community. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Japan vs. South Korea: Differences in Beauty Standards, Men, and Diversity photo credits: Pixabay and Danielle Fraser.
Related Posts
South Korea Travel Tips: Rebecca’s Take on Health, Safety and Romance
Becoming Geishas: A Japanese Makeover
One-Week “Staycation”: My Best Vacation in Korea
Korean Lifestyle: Getting Personal with Coworkers
Unexpected Surgery in South Korea
The Troubling State of Korean Beauty Standards
Seoul Travel: Keeping It Confucian
Shopping for Plus-Size Clothes in Japan
Japanese men are masculine and much of korean men dont seem manly….korean men are always trying to look prettier than their female counterparts…but japanese men tend to have more panache and are cool..they have facial hair but not too much….but yes japan is a male dominated society and women has a lesser role….and yes i am nither japanese nor korean..i am not gay too…..
Dude
Ever heard of ” herbivore”men? Term in Japan used to describe today’s Japanese men. Meaning they dont pursue their women. They are rather happy living single.
Korean guys are physically taller and more masculin afterall they are all required to do 2 years in the military. I also like to add in Korea guys are expected to pay on dates unlike Japan where they usually go dutch (pay half half). Koreans are just more expressive .
Eek, then it’s decided…Go for Japanese women…(they’re less expensive)
I’m Korean and I must say my Japanese friends gain weight easier than I do so they also eat less
You see more diversity in Japan because it is a reactionary movement against the rigid conformism of Japanese society. That’s why Japan has so many forms of fashion expressions that are fascianting for westerners. iT is two worlds constantly colliding.
As far as I know, Japanese society doesn’t like those who stand out and they even have a saying for that, but eventually, a fraction of Japan broke free from the ties od rigid conformism and now you see, so many fashion styles, so many colours, so many weird hairstyles, etc. It’s their way to rebel against a society they feel it is oppressive.
But compared to Korea, certainly, Japan appreciates colorful individualism more than South Korea.
I think the difference is just that Japan is more about cuteness and Korea is actually more accepting of American things…
It’s more the other way around
Japan really does prefer cute, more than any other country in the world. It’s ingrained in Japanese culture. Kawaii, Japanese cuteness, has been a vital part of Japanese culture for thousands of years.
In the Heian period of Japan, (600 AD to 900 AD), the ideal beauty was fair skin, round face, a petite round body and introversion. In the Edo period of Japan (1600 to 1900), folding the hems of the kimono and having long obi (belt) was meant to make it look more childish, because its cuter that way. Japan has always admired cuteness and daintiness. Yamato Nadeshiko, the traditional ideal of Japanese feminine beauty, puts a lot of emphasis on being docile, being soft.
I actually really like your thoughts Danielle. I teach english in Beijing for a few years now and have many close Chinese, Korean and Japanese friends. The Chinese I find more childish and generally friendlier. Very tolerant. The taste in humor, fashion and entertainment is however horrible. Also their hygiene is poor compared to Asia. (writing about west standard is a waste of time in China). Koreans I find more passionate. The women are more down to earth than Chinese but less than Japanese. Japanese are very polite. Quite eaters when comparing to China and Korea. Great diversity and deep culture roots popping out in many occasions. However, I cannot see through them many times. Even they say they don’t like to talk about problems and generally are not that honest about their feelings as Koreans or Chinese. Anyways, I just returned from Korea and I have to admit that Korean women are very pretty and sexy in a way. Can’t help the feeling similar to China – the wanna be US effect, but still pretty impressive with their unique Asian touch. I have never been in Japan, but can’t wait to explore it’s nature, long history in gardening and food. (BTW I really like Korean food). Korea is on it’s rise, but Japanese are still on the throne of Asia. My thoughts))
I know you assumed that Japan is more accepting but in reality this is not true. Japan’s old-fashioned ways are slowly being broken apart by the youth there which is a blessing because the ideals of a traditional Japanese family are rather misogynistic, patriarchal, and lean towards fascism. Do some research on the Japanese cultural mindset before you assume anything to quickly. Ps. I do love Japan is just you have to be aware of cultural taboos and other preconceptions