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Herbivore men


Herbivore men or grass-eater men(草食(系)男子 Sōshoku(-kei) danshi?) is a term used in Japan to describe men who have no interest in getting married or finding a girlfriend. The term of Herbivore men was also a term that is described as young men who had lost their “manliness”. Describing a Herbivore man's appearance is similar to the American identity of metrosexual. The appearance of a Herbivore man consists of dyed hair of a lighter color or highlights. Accessories of a herbivore man includes jewelry items like designer rings and earrings or studs. These trends in appearance started occurring at the end of the 20th century. The term was coined by author Maki Fukasawa in an article published on 13 October 2006.

Surveys of single Japanese men conducted in 2010 found that 61% of men in their 20s and 70% of men in their 30s considered themselves to be herbivores. Japan's government views the phenomenon as one possible cause of the nation's declining birth rate.

According to Fukasawa, herbivore men are "not without romantic relationships, but have a non-assertive, indifferent attitude toward desires of flesh". Philosopher Masahiro Morioka defines herbivore men as "kind and gentle men who, without being bound by manliness, do not pursue romantic relationships voraciously and have no aptitude for being hurt or hurting others."

Indifference of men to marriage and committed relationships is an observable trend in many advanced societies. Various social and economic factors are cited as playing a role in this trend. In Japan, the decline of the Japanese economy is often said to contribute to the rise of herbivore men, the theory being that economic disillusionment from the bubble burst of the early 1990s, has caused Japanese men to turn their backs on typical "masculine" and corporate roles. As economic downturn showed the fragility of salarymen, permanent employment became less appealing, with over 2,500,000 freeters—young people working only part-time—and between 650,000 and 850,000 NEETs—young people who are "not in education, employment, or training"—between the ages of 19 and 35, living in Japan. This response might be deeply ingrained in Japanese culture. Due to this attitude, herbivore men may be a result of a silent protest against the older generations, patriarchal values and consumerism.


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