“Herbivores” Are Destroying Japan
By Wyatt Earp | June 17, 2009
“It’s Metrosexual Godzilla! We must fwee!”
Ryoma Igarashi likes going for long drives through the mountains, taking photographs of Buddhist temples and exploring old neighborhoods. He’s just taken up gardening, growing radishes in a planter in his apartment. Until recently, Igarashi, a 27-year-old Japanese television presenter, would have been considered effeminate, even gay. Japanese men have long been expected to live like characters on Mad Men, chasing secretaries, drinking with the boys, and splurging on watches, golf, and new cars.
Frakkin’ right! Long live the Alpha Male, baby! Now let’s have some hot broad bring me a martini.
Today, Igarashi has a new identity (and plenty of company among young Japanese men) as one of the soushoku danshi—literally translated, “grass-eating boys.” Named for their lack of interest in sex and their preference for quieter, less competitive lives, Japan’s “herbivores” are provoking a national debate about how the country’s economic stagnation since the early 1990s has altered men’s behavior.
Lack of interest in sex? I guess the natives are too busy sorting out their Hello Kitty photos. I hereby volunteer myself to fly to Japan and satisfy every woman who wants a lot of lovin’.
Newspapers, magazines, and television shows are newly fixated on the herbivores. “Have men gotten weaker?” was one theme of a recent TV talk show. “Herbivores Aren’t So Bad” is the title of a regular column on the Japanese Web site NB Online.
In this age of bromance and metrosexuals, why all the fuss? The short answer is that grass-eating men are alarming because they are the nexus between two of the biggest challenges facing Japanese society: the declining birth rate and anemic consumption. (H/T – Slate)
Apparently, the only thing “rising” in Japanese men is their loser quotients. What the Hell happened to this country? Japan was the military scourge of the world less than a century ago. Their navy made Russia its bitch and their army battled our forces from pillar to post.
Now, if Japan sees a need to defend itself from the likes of a North Korea, they will have to institute a draft . . . for women.
Topics: Snarkasm | 4 Comments »
June 17th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Ever read any Larry Niven – specifically what happened to the Kzin?
I’d say a good portion of their best “alpha male” stock got wiped out in WWII.
June 17th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Coincidentally, LGF has a link to this story in it’s link feed:
read the rest at the link
June 18th, 2009 at 8:08 am
I’d say there are still plenty of “alpha males” in Japan, which is why they have cars on trains specially designated for women only.
“Groping attacks and other harassment against women commuters increased on some Tokyo-area train lines last year, despite the rising numbers of women-only cars, officials said Monday. Anonymous groping of women on Japan’s crowded train lines has long been a social concern.”
Creepy.
June 18th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
Soy is giving more men moobs and “manly” issues. It is a type of estrogen. It is evil.
I’m highly sensitive to it, so I avoid as much of it as possible. But, I’m hearing it isn’t so good for women, too.
I wonder if the gentlemen from Japan go to PetSmart to buy the kitty grass and grow it in their windows for some midnight snacking.