When we look at magazines, especially fashion magazines, and even though they are selled only in Japan, often Models are Western or half Western. For example, almost all fashion models of Men's non-no, which is one of the majour men's fashion magazines in Japan, are Western or Western mixed and they show up many pages. Same as girl's fashion magazines. Look at picture above. This is the picture of girl's fashion magazine names "mini". Most models of mini are half - Western. Japanese young people look at them and refer to their fashion.
But why publishers use weatern models?
Why not Japanese?
(Of course there are many Japanese models, but western models are incresing recently.) Japanese figure and western figure are really different. And also, face and hair are different. But why Japanese young people imitate them or refer to their fashion?
Also, when we look at young adult girl's fashion magazines, like "ViVi', we'll find makeup pages teaching " how to be western face" or " how to be craggy face". They teach how to show our noses taller and eyes bigger and more clear.
These examples of mogazine models and make up show the fact that " Japanese wants to be Western". I'm sure that these thinking came from "akogare"(= means yearning) for western countries or cultures. Now, the westernization in Japan is too big to write in this my tiny blog, but the big part of the root of westernization is Akogare.
this is 'VIVI's page! http://www.joseishi.net/vivi/
this is men's non-no's page!
http://mensnonno.shueisha.co.jp/home.html
It might be helpful to discuss akogare a bit more, especially in relation to fashion. Why are western models used so much? How can you find out? How is this sort of fashion an example of globalization?
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