The Herbivore Man

Let's be friends

I don't know how much truth there is to this new social trend in japan - the Herbivore Man (aka s?shoku danshi). This is a fad that has, according to many sources, captured the imagination of Japan's youth. Most importantly, it is prominent amongst the age group that falls into the working section, you know, that rather telling bit on a graph lurking between the 18 somethings and retired groups. Well, what exactly is this trend and why is everyone making a fuss about this?

Herbivore Man comes across as a new take on the whole metrosexual angle, except perhaps without the macho aggressiveness. Like metrosexual men, these guys love to pamper themselves. Beauty treatments, cosmetics, the whole 'because I'm worth it' approach. But, unlike the metrosexual folk, these guys have other noteworthy features. For instance, they lack the competitive edge that is prominent in stereotypically macho men or even in metrosexual guys. Furthermore, these herbivores (incidentally a label that makes me cringe as it reminds me of 'Long Neck' from Land Before Time) are a tad close to their moms, depend on mom and dad for all their expenses and pee whilst sitting down. Can I just add that folks who are going on about this fad are a bit obsessed with the toilet habits of young folk? Freudian much?

Meturo Sekusual? What, you're not s?shoku danshi?

Well, the folks kicking up a fuss about this are also comparing the young folk to older generations. This means, macho corporate men who were ruthless in business and are quite 'meh' about playing a family role. Takumi from Nana is the perfect example for this, don't you think? By the way, Jose Gonzalez has written an interesting analysis about this love-to-hate character. Check it out. So, back to Takumi-like men. Oh sure, they have a wife and kids and all the status symbols of a mature man but they were not emotionally invested in playing the daddy role. That's the image folks have about Japanese men from the older generations and the herbivore men appear in sharp contrast to these guys. Thus, the latter don't have the drive or motivation to nab a high paying job. The white picket fence dream, or the Japanese version of it, is not for them. They want to take it slow, enjoy themselves and while they are at it, not in a rush to find a girlfriend.

People who are focusing on this trend argue that it is Japan's ongoing economic situation that is partly responsible for the herbivore man. The argument basically boils down to 'If my dad overworked himself and he's not happy, do I want to end up like him?'. It also doesn't help that the job prospect looks bleak and young folk are not as optimistic about their future in the working world. Oh and least I forget, one article was also pointing out that the reason for lack of interest in marriage or long-term relationship might be linked to availability of porn and cybersex and all that jazz.

Alright, so you have a basic idea about the herbivore man and the reaction he's provoking from folks all over. It Want to see a real macho man?probably is a new fad and there really are cosmetics-loving mommy's boys who would rather wear a stylish belt than mark their sexual conquests on the huge warrior belt around their waists. Yea, +3 to charisma, -5 to male libido or something along those lines. Thing is … it seems a bit sensationalist, don't you think? Like the author of one article pointed out, breaking the gender norms has been common in Japan for years now. And it is pretty evident in a number of manga and anime so it's not like herbivore man rose out of the blue. Fine, so young men don't look forward to getting a job, want to live off momsy and they indulge in perfecting their looks. But that can hardly be Japan specific. Isn't that a common trend all over the world? Or at least prevalent amongst young folk who appear on reality shows?

And while I am at it, what is with the obsession about how men pee? Surely it is up to them how they conduct themselves in the bathroom? The fact that anyone scratches their chin and ponders about this is weirder than those strange women who insist on buying an Angel Kneel Angel's Knee Pillow. That's at least my opinion.

Then there is the bit about the herbivore man's disinterest in sex, how he just wants to be buddies with his girl pals. Alright, so as some folks pointed out, that doesn't sound so bad. At the same time, if porn and online sex and whatnot is the reason for the decrease in getting a girlfriend, then surely it doesn't mean these guys are not into sex but rather that … they took matters into their own hands?