Article Alert!
What: Japan embraces its inner Geisha
Where: Sydney Morning Herald, Life & Style (Beauty)
This article reports that Japan is taking a renewed pride in its own women’s beauty and style. In 2007, Riyo Mori became the first Japanese woman to be crowned Miss Universe in 48 years. And companies, like Shiseido, are shifting to using Japanese women in their advertisements instead of blonde, caucasian women. In fact, Shiseido’s new slogan is: “Japanese women are beautiful.” The writer suggests that the current shift is driven by Japan’s long history of appreciating beauty, and the new combination of ancient beauty practices and new high-tech beauty advances. Kakuyasu Uchiide, the artistic director of skincare and make-up company Shu Uemura, feels that Asian women are no longer looking to a Western beauty ideal.
What should you take away from this article?
We need to always appreciate our own beauty, and that includes the beautiful features unique to each ethnicity. Reflect on the shift away from a Western beauty ideal, but save your brain energy when it comes to all the ingredients and packaging that the article discusses. It makes me very happy to hear that Japanese models are being used more frequently in Asian beauty advertisements. Beauty would be so dull if we all looked similar. As Darwin says below, it is our differences that make the existence and true appreciation of beauty possible.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Auntie Fashion 12.11.08 at 11:16 am
That Japanese Miss Universe gave up her crown this year in a pantsuit. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing when she walked out onto the stage in trousers.
She’s one cool cat!