Trends in Japan - CScout Japan Blog » Real and fake facial hair trends for Japanese men

Real and fake facial hair trends for Japanese men

Written by: Michael Keferl on July 6, 2007 at 4:04 am | In LIFESTYLE / FASHION |

While not exactly known for being able to grow even partially-full beards, facial hair is in for Japanese men, both young and old alike. Those on the young end of the spectrum tend to be with a hipper crowd, are students, or simply don’t care about looking like a clean-shaven salaryman. After all, most Japanese men who enter companies are forced to stay smooth per company policy. However, once they retire (or get off of work for the weekend) there’s a whole new world of goatees and mustaches that only need some patience….or a little adhesive!

fake-real-facial-hair-bear-trends-in-japan-hige

Having facial hair (hige in Japanese) takes a bit of work for most men, and the older guys who can pull it off and look good doing it are called choiwaru oyaji (ちょい悪おやじ), meaning “cool old man”. You can spot guys like this all over Tokyo these days, looking sharp in a modern suit with no necktie and sporting a neatly trimmed beard. For young guys, a beard is the perfect counter-action to the mainstream feminization of Japanese men, a la Kat-Tun. It separates the men from the boys, so to speak.

fake-real-facial-hair-bear-trends-in-japan

There’s an entire facial hair culture now, with websites like Hige Club, a portal and salon that’s all about the facial hair lifestyle. Tips on how to kiss with facial hair, dye it, or even eat natto without making a mess are included in their column section, with lots of other resources available to members. For those with money to spend, salons like Fujii in Tokyo offer high-class beard coloring and trimming with modern style, but still with a barber’s touch. After all, there’s nothing manly about growing a beard and then having it “styled”. Fujii does “base design” for facial hair, creating a good look for customers so they can go home and maintain it on their own.

fake-real-facial-hair-bear-trends-in-japan-propia

Of course, not everyone is blessed with a beard that can be worked with beyond a few sprouts on the chin. For these unfortunate (lucky?) fellows, companies like Propia have had great success in marketing fake facial hair that isn’t over-the-top, but is just enough to create the look their customers want. The word for “fake beard” in Japanese is tsuke hige (ã?¤ã?‘ã?²ã?’), and they’ve been a surprise hit for both retired salarymen and and current ones who want the look for just a couple of days. We’ve seen some around town that we suspected were fake, but it’s nearly impossible to tell as far as we know. At about $30 for a goatee, they’d better look pretty real.

Pictures via the above links

Tags: Fashion, Men
Category: LIFESTYLE / FASHION
Other categories: MARKETING IDEAS, DIGITAL LIFE, PRODUCT INNOVATIONS

Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives license

13 Comments »

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What if it peels off on a humid day

Comment by blondie83 — July 9, 2007 #
Better yet, for when the chest hairs are going to be available ?

Comment by Crow — July 9, 2007 #
In my opinion, barber-trimmed facial hair is verrryyyyy sexy. For the man who needs it, I like this product. Corporate men can sport the facial hair they would normally like to grow naturally, then they can go back to work being clean shaven. For men whose employers do not require shaving, I don’t see the need to buy this product, unless it’s a gift. Natural hige is much better.

Comment by Dolores — July 9, 2007 #
Come on Folks! It’s not like this story is about glue on hair that you can stick to your taint.

Comment by Ricky — July 10, 2007 #
Wonder if they offer full beards…?

Comment by Emily — July 10, 2007 #
Seems a bit riddiculous. What happens if someones making out with yooh and…whoops, your beard falls off?

Comment by Yasmin — July 10, 2007 #
But just look how sexy that guy in the picture is afterward!! Asians + Facial Hair = YES! He’s all smex afterward, lookin at the camera and such. xP

Comment by Katie — August 10, 2007 #
Does anybody know Propria’s contact e-mail? I need to contact them as soon as possible.

Comment by Flavia Carreiro — December 9, 2007 #
Dear Sir/Madam,
could you please let me know, if someone is completely bald (no hair on the front side), how much dose it cost to have looking for normal hair through propia material?
and also for each year how many times needs to renew it?
I will be appreciated to get kind coments.
Rezaian

Comment by Rezaian — February 10, 2008 #
interested in hair products -fake head hair

Comment by rick deahl — April 1, 2008 #
I am from Singapore and I really did not understand the website as mostly in japanese…any possible they have website in english. I really wish to buy that goatee

Comment by Esjay — November 22, 2008 #
Is it really necessary to have this hair on the face ? I can not believe how much efforts is put on these things. It is all fake .

Comment by Helmut Thielbeer — January 18, 2009 #
Wow, hehe that’s cool, what’s next? The bear culture goes mainstream, yes! :-D

A mex bear

Comment by Woofy — May 5, 2009 #