Grass Fed: An explanation of Herbivore Culture

Grass Fed: An Explanation of Herbivore Culture
Let me begin by saying that I am not an expert whatsoever about Herbivore Culture. That said, I doubt there is anyone even in Japan who can give you an answer that can accurately portray Herbivore culture that is not biased by the feminine narrative. Also, although I did link some articles, this isn't an academic work or research, rather an opinion piece hence why I decided to put this in Anecdotal section.

She Said
Well first off, the term Soushoku-kei Danshi a.k.a. “Herbivore Boys” is coined by Maki Fukusawa in 2007 and became a buzzword by 2009/2010. Fukusawa is a woman and her observations will obviously be skewed by the feminine perspective. Soon, another woman by the name of Megumi Ushikubo, the president of the market firm Infinity, authored “The Herbivores Ladylike Men are Changing Japan” using pseudo-science to come up with her conclusions. However, to be fair, a man named Masahiro Morioka, a professor from Osaka Prefecture University, made the term popular in his book "Love Lessons for the Herbivore Boys". The fact remains though, the only ones that are making any fuss about this entire culture are the women, that is, Herbivore men don’t talk about being Herbivore with other men; we just are and the women didn't like it.

The Japanese Beta Male
What most Japanese traditional men are, are workaholic corporate salary-men. These men often work really hard and give all of their income to their wives – every last Yen. The wives in turn would give the husband allowances and keep the rest. Yes, this is a thing in Japan. http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/okozukai

However, what these men truly are, are Japanese Beta Males being bitch-slapped by their wives. Anyone with half a brain could see that this is no life for them. This is the primary motivating factor behind the Herbivore Culture and why it has gained so much ground in Japan. The Herbivore Men is a culture that rejects traditional Japanese way of life in favour of individual happiness instead.

Hence, the Herbivore Men is a counterculture to Nikushoku Danshi or Carnivore Men which is the traditional male role, specifically on matters of love, employment and consumption.  Lesser known but just as true is that Herbivore Culture had existed long before the term was coined. It started back in the early 90’s as a reaction towards Japan economic downturn. As Japan’s economy further descends, it accelerated the growth of Herbivore Culture.

The Herbivore men are typically 35 years of age or younger and this demographic corresponds to the period of Japan’s economic crisis; it’s a culture 20 years in the making, there just wasn't a name for it back then.

Media Hype
What the media tend to report about Herbivore Men (that is commonly written by women) is that they are
a) Commitment phobic and are afraid of women – some go even further to state that Herbivore men are afraid to hurt and get hurt emotionally.
b) Frugal, non-ambitious, non-status seeking - Herbivore men only spend money for themselves and aren't looking to advance themselves in society.
c) Effeminate, Fashion and Beauty Conscious
d) Abstaining from sex.

All I can do when I read articles that writes this is to facepalm myself. While the above criteria are true, it is very much misleading. There isn't one Herbivore man that can be identified by the above 4 criteria. There are some Herbivore men that fit some of the criterion but no Herbivore man fit all the criteria. To think that Herbivore Men spend money on their hair, make up, fashion while at the same time saying that they are frugal when clearly beauty and fashion are luxury expenses, is ludicrous.

The 70% of the men that are within the Herbivore demographic (20 – 35 y/o) whom identify themselves as Herbivore, include (but not limited to) NEETs (Not Employed, in Education or Training), and Freeters (men who are not employed or are not fully employed) which amounts to a sum of 2.5 million people who are further divided into different sub-cultures which consist of manga, video games, maid cafes and good-ole Japanese Adult Video (porn to you).

NEETs, Freeters are included in the wider spectrum of other Herbivore men who do have fulltime employment and are doing well. NEETs and Freeters tend to be frugal and pretty much into the Otaku (Nerd) culture while at the same time being Soushoku Danshi (Herbivore). Then the effeminate Herbivore Men belong to this new trend of men who are into grooming and fashion and this is the Herbivore men that the media identifies readily and hyped it.

Another thing that the media likes to hype is the bruised pride and dignity of the Herbivore Men. Since the traditionally, women do not refuse the advances of Japanese man, the fact that modern Japanese women can and do reject Herbivore men at the point where it hurts their pride so badly that they simply cower, I find that also ludicrous especially when these findings where presented by Oricon (music statistic company of all things) and other companies using pseudo-science.

Because the truth is, there are Herbivore Men who do date women; but many Herbivore men don't care. And although there are Herbivore men who are indeed shy and passive, it certainly doesn't explain why other Herbivore Men are celibate, asexual and/or indifferent.

The important thing to note is that, the Herbivore culture is more inclusive and diverse than what the media portrays.

Japanese Men are Going Their Own Way
If you could ask every Herbivore Man, the common element that they all share is their attitude towards women, hence consequently marriage and relationships. The Carnivore Man is the symbol of traditional masculine role, i.e. a Japanese man is expected to support his wife and family without complaint even though he feels discontent and unhappy. The Carnivore Man’s social standing is defined by him having wealth and family, even if in pursuit of this makes him miserable.

It also doesn't help that the main criticism that all the articles regarding Herbivore Man in Japan and around the world, come from the grievances of women who – if you read the subtext carefully – want their man to pamper them. The women want their man in their traditional roles as salary men who slaves at work all day and gives all his money to his wife; a life that Herbivore Men refuse to participate in

I’ll stop here and maybe next time I’ll write about how Herbivore Culture manifests and grew in other countries.

Good reads on Herbivore Men
http://www.shavemagazine.com/politics/The-Soushoku-Danshi
http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/07/27/us-japan-herbivores-idUSTRE56Q0C220090727
http://discoverjapannow.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/who-are-japans-grass-eaters/

Bad reads on Herbivore Men
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2009/06/the_herbivores_dilemma.html
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/life/2009/05/10/life/blurring-the-boundaries/#.Uv-IBPmSyAk

What the fuck happened to the Japanese? I doubt that back in the old days samurai warriors were giving their money to a woman for anything other then paid sex. Are you kidding me?? Those girls would of stripped naked for him, cooked his dinner and polished his sword (both if you know what I mean) all with bare titties hanging out while giggling in standard Japanese slut girl fashion! hahaha!

Thank you - this fills a lot of the gaps in my understanding about the Soushoku-Danshi.

Looking through my "round" eyes, I saw Japan grow from my toymakers (when I was a little kid) into a manufacturing powerhouse and an economic giant ... and along the way, I got glimmerings of how they achieved this, through exacting and hard work that was tough enough on the factory floors, and absolutely brutal for the salarymen and the executives who were working themselves to death. I didn't think about their family life - I was busy enough living my own life. And like so many of us in the West, I only heard about the Herbivores when the Western MSM started publishing shame-sammich articles about them.

It hardly surprises me that many of the young men who grew up in the "crisis years" of Japan's economic downturn, broke their conditioning and chose not to follow their fathers into the soul-crushing hammer-mill that is the salaryman's life. And it certainly doesn't surprise me that Japanese "Society" - driven as it is the women who don't get to ride on the herbivores' pull - are pissed off about it. And the Powers That Be have reason to be perturbed, because the herbivores aren't doing their demographic duty of siring more little Japanese babies....

I have no cause to be surprised that Herbivore culture seems to be more developed and pervasive in Japan and the East than MGTOW appears in the West. Japan is a high-tech pressure cooker, isn't it?

It is good to see a write up from someone actually involved in the movement as opposed to having to search out articles that- as you guessed it- contain the overwhelming stench of media bias.

Japanese men, much like men the world over have done what Dr. Helen Smith described as a "risk vs. reward" analysis.

And, much like the men of the rest of the world they are finding the risk is not worth what little reward there is.

I know the pace and demands on men in Japanese culture are relentless, to the point that men in their 40's die from job related stress. They even have a term dedicated to it. And on top of that they have to deal with women that indulge in the best their educations in feminism have to offer. Entitlement. Being demanding. Belittlement. And on the list goes.

So, understandably, they each individually looked at the situations they faced from the demands placed on them from childhood on and asked "what the Hell is the point of this?" There is no reward, and the punishment goes on indefinitely.

I take interest in this movement because I believe it will be somewhat of a harbinger of things to come in other places.

Thanks for the response guys, I'm really humbled.

I wrote another one, but I'd like someone to read it before I post it, like an editor for the sake of quality. Any takers?

Your entries so far have been excellent. We're not a peer reviewed journal, but I'd be willing to volunteer Beija Flor for you!

Tell him I sent you   

or I could