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You may have strong image against Japan that it’s a country of Samurai and Harakiri.
Well that’s true if you discuss Japan of hundreds of years ago, but what’s new today?
One of my blog readers used to ask me to write about how Japanese people go dating. But before I write about that, there is something I should mention: something remarkable between men and women today.

Young Japanese men of 20s and 30s today are apparently different from current 40s or 50s were in that age. The uniqueness of Japanese men nowadays is called as “herbivore boy” and has been broadcasted here and there several times, because they are that unique.

As in the title, Japanese men are getting less interested in the things that they used to stick to.
For example, they are no longer interested in:
-hunting for girls,
-working hard not only to support his family but to get promoted to gain good position at his company,
-buying luxurious car or house to show off,
-drinking strong alcohol and staying away from sweets,
-eating well and working out at a gym to build a manly bodyline,
-competitions
and etc.

These are the things men used to think needed to be a man among men.
But young men never care about such things any more. They enjoy what they like, totally free from prejudice, competition, aggressiveness or whatever men used to pay much attention to.

Here’s what herbivore men care for:
-fashion and cosmetics to make them look good
-time they spend with family
-diet to keep a lean body and to save money
-cafe and sweets (These days sweets especially designed for men are available at convenience stores.)
-mild and modest character, just do things as his own pace

“飲む・打つ・買う” (meaning drinking, gambling, flirting with women) is a common way of expressing bad guy in Japan, but herbivore men are way opposite to this. They are no-drinking, no-gambling, and no-sex!

It sounds peaceful when you hear “Herbivore men” but as to the downside of them, it is said that they can accelerate our social problem of low birth rate because they are indifferent to women. To be exact, they are not proactive or aggressive to make an approach to women. They may feel like dating if only they are asked by women. Yes, they are very passive! Moreover, the virtual girls available in the video game such as LovePlus could be better than real ones!! Being indifferent to expensive car or watch damages Japanese economy, too.

On the other hand, however, we can think that herbivore men have settled in that way under decades of Japanese bad economy. Being less offensive might have been the best way to cope with such gloomy economy. Or it could be Japanese women who created herbivore men. Unlike men, Japanese women have become strong. Women enjoy working very hard at the office, drinking well, shopping a lot, and are very aggressive.

TV or book catches trend faster. Otomen or Ojoman introduced herbivore male earlier.

Now I can clearly understand why one of my male colleagues acted like a woman when I was working at the office. He was around mid 30, single. He seemed to spend much time and money for shopping. He liked eating sweets at the office. He liked to talk with girls for sweets, hair care cosmetics, new shops, and etc. He was wondering what to wear to the event while non of other female colleagues didn’t care much about that. He said he wanted to get married someday, but he didn’t seem to be proactive against women. I was not sure if he had a girlfriend then, but he liked to keep doing things at his own pace, which means he didn’t even like his things touched or moved from the right position by his girlfriend when she came to his house. It was over 5 years ago, when I found he was very different from most of other men, but now I feel he was one of the herbivore guys! Herbivore guys are good to have as friends, but I’m not sure if I can fall in love with someone who I don’t sense “male”. (LOL) What do you think? Have you seen herbivore men around you? Or could you be one of them?