Male Order

Resonating with Today’s

Young, Male, JapaneseConsumer

Aaron Toussaint, Five by Fifty

Why Young Men?• What I heard and what I saw• A young male, living in Japan• Set the record straight- in English language media

there are a lot of very sensationalistic stories about Japanese men

The Herbivorous Man• “Herbivores”, “Grass

eaters”, etc

• Dearth of desire and aspiration– Career, Women, Consumption

• The Ruin of Japan!

The Kids are Alright• Japanese men are diverse

– There is no single “new Japanese man”– 1%

• Japanese men are neither hopeless nor helpless– They are just different– They are comfortable with themselves

• Japanese men present new opportunities– Beer– Cars– Cosmetics

Two Stereotypes of Japanese MenBubble (ShimaKousaku) Soushoku (Kusanagi Tsuyoshi)

What Men Share in Common• Generational Experience

– Japan and sedairon

• What young men share– The end of aspiration – Increasing insecurity– Constant affluence– Changing role of women

The End of AspirationPercentage of new graduates who agree that: “A Big Company is Most Important”

Source: Megumi Ushikubo. Herbivorous Men: The ‘Girly Men’ Who Will Change Japan. 2008.

The End of Aspiration

Source: National Tax Agency: “Citizens’ Income Status, 2008, Survey Results” Reprinted at http://nensyu-labo.com/heikin_suii.htm

Increasing Employment Insecurity15% in 1984… Today more than 1/3rd

2009

Regular WorkersIrregular Workers

Increasing Political Insecurity

• Disillusionment with politics is high. Scandals have plagued both LDP and DPJ governments

• The loss of pension records in 2007 critically harmed people’s trust in the government

• Seven Prime Ministers since 2006?

Constant Affluence

• Convenience Stores!• Never knew hardship• Grew up one generation

removed from the economic miracle

• Why work myself to death to finance a life I already have?

The Role of Women• As Female Lifestyles Change,

Demands on Men Change too• Partner, not a provider• The “3 Highs” ( 高 ) vs. the “3 Lows”

( 低 ) –Megumi Ushikubo(High Education, High Salary, High Height)(Low Key, Low Risk, Low Dependency)

Source: Megumi Ushikubo. Herbivorous Men: The ‘Girly Men’ Who Will Change Japan. 2008.

This has Led to…Male Diversification!

Group Ages Special Characteristics

SoshokuDanshi（草食男子 )

Late teens to late 20s, some 30s

Herbivores- less hypermasculine than earlier generations of males, Not as focused on sex or career advancement

SoshokuDanshi(装飾男子 )

Late teens, early 20s

“Decorated” men. Men concerned with personal fashion, often blurring gender boundaries

Creamy Danshi(クリーミー男子 )

Early 20s-onward

Comes from the sweets women eat when stressed- men who realize their women work hard and support them, but can also act masculine

Roll CabbageDanshi(ロールキャベツ男子 )

Late teens to late 20s

Look like herbivores, but are actually extremely “carnivorous”

Dokushin Oji**(独身王子 )

Typically late 30s or ealy 40s

Single with lots of disposable income, many consume like the bubble never ended

Is the “New Man” the “Old Man”?

• Cool to Consumption• Consuming within one’s means• Not consuming unnecessarily• Danshari (Clean room, clean heart)

Are “New” Consumption Ethos Traditional?

Where Men are Putting their Money• Beauty

– Aesthetic salon growth– Plethora of new male grooming products

• Fashion– Increased emphasis on fast fashion– Blurring of gender lines

• Interior– Comfortable, healing space– Always ready to receive guests

• Shifting of form, not of essence, blurring of genders

Japan on the Leading Edge• Applications outside of Japan

– Japanese demographic trends– The decline of the American male– “I have this theory that women are

going to rule the world in 20 years”

• Is this the new Japanese male or a precursor to the new male?

Burberry 2009/10 campaign image