Dodesho?
It’s the age-old question, literally, and it’s happened to all of us at least a few times. You’re drinking at your local izakaya when the Nihonjin nearby inevitably get up the courage to ask, “How old are you?” If you’re savvy and have mastered the rules of this game, you reply, “Guess,” at which point they “eeee” and “mmmm” for a few moments before giving what they assume to be a generously low number. In the end, you’re forced to tell them that you are, in truth, still a good five years younger than that, a fact met with complete shock and amazement by all Japanese in the vicinity.
It’s no headline news that Japanese look much younger for their age than do westerners. They are known to have a healthier diet, but as winter segues into spring and summer, another reason becomes apparent – Japanese, particularly women, take great care to stay out of the sun.
It was hard for me to understand at first, and to be honest, still is. During my first summer in Japan it surprised me that women seemed to wear more clothing in the heat than they did in the dead of winter. Long shorts replaced miniskirts, layered shirts covered chests, umbrellas shaded faces, and full-length gloves kept hands and arms delicately white. The last thing I want to do in Japan’s heavy, humid, summer air is don every item of clothing I own and carry an umbrella. On the contrary, I find myself embarrassed to run into my chugakusei outside of school on account of how little I wear in this weather. And even at school, during my free periods, I’m searching for that elusive outdoor locale that hides me from the eyes of students so I can lie down and catch some much desired rays for even a few minutes.
The desire for white skin in western society is rather antiquated, harkening back to a day when a tan linked sun exposure to outdoor labor. A fair complexion was prized for the social status it implied, of being able to stay indoors and have all work taken care of by slaves and servants. But these days, it’s a tan people want, especially in my native California. A bronze glow radiates health and freedom, despite any actual negative effects of tanning. Even amidst fears of skin cancer, tanning beds remain popular and profitable, and those who do care to watch out for their health cheat the system by using fake tan products including lotions, bronzers, or even spray-tan booths where you stand in a compromising position while dye is finely misted over your entire body.
I should have been prepared for the sun-fearing craze by the masses of specialized cosmetic products that dominate department store displays – white makeup, whitening creams, super-sunscreens, and more, offered by the same companies that are marketing bronzers on the other side of the globe. And while sun-protection is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Japanese manage to look so young, these products are proof that youth is not the driving factor behind the desire for white skin – they could easily stay out of the sun and use fake tan products, but instead they are actually striving for even whiter skin than shade and sunscreen can provide.
Some Japanese women claim it is wise to stay white in the professional environment. The July 2005 Dodesho noted that one reason Japan won’t conform to Daylight Savings Time Standards is because men don’t like to leave the office while it’s still light out – while the sun is shining, people are expected to be hard at work. Similarly, Japanese women feel that a tan makes them less authoritative or detracts from their legitimacy as professionals, perhaps for the same reasons that many westerners value a tan – it makes a statement of “Hey, I’m living the easy life, swimming, lying on the beach – work WHAT?” We place high value on having (or appearing to have) the means to enjoy more leisure than work, whereas Japanese prefer to play up their professional lives to make work appear to occupy the dominant portion of their time.
The health benefits of sun protection are obvious, but I’m not about to buy into the respect-in-the-workplace theory anytime soon. I, for one, gladly accept the odd stares from all around every time I step scantily clad into the sun and raise my face and arms to the sky in a glorious salute. The hardest part is trying not to cry when my students compliment me on my fair skin, pointing to their arms and mine in turn with exclamations of “Kuroi…shiroi!” Shiroi? But I’ve been tanning so dedicatedly! Then again, maybe underneath it all, that is the answer to this cultural question – we always want what we don’t have.
By Courtney Brigham, American, Sun Goddess / English teacher
Illustrations copyright Shirley Waisman 2006
ドォデショ？
西洋人の私たちからすると日本人って実年齢より若く見えるよね？ 健康的な食習慣のせいもあるけれど、理由はカンタン。夏が近づくとこぞって始める「日焼け」対策にあり！
日本に来てすぐの頃、夏なのに厚着した女性達を見て驚いたわ。冬にはミニスカートを履いてたのに、何故か夏はロングパンツ、シャツも重ね着、傘や手袋で顔や腕などデリケートな白い肌を隠す。・・・夏にありったけの洋服を着て傘をさす、なんて絶対真似できない。だって私なんて、学校の休み時間には人になるべく見つからない場所で、日光を浴びてたりするくらいなんだもの！
西洋では、「白く透き通る肌」ってのは必ずしも珍重されるわけではないのね。どちらかというと、使用人に囲まれ贅沢優雅な暮らしをしていた時代の古めかしいイメージかな。近年の、特にカリフォルニアでの日焼けブームは凄いものがあって、皮膚ガンのリスクがあると分かっていても、こんがりと焼けた肌は健康と自由の象徴！健康志向の人たちは、妥協策としてカラーローションやスプレー等の”フェイク日焼け”グッズを使ってブロンズの肌を演出してるほど。
かわって、日本。驚いたのはデパートの棚に並ぶコスメの数々。おしろい、ホワイトニング、ローション、強力な日焼け止め…。地球の反対側で同じメーカーが売っているのは「フェイク日焼けグッズ」なのにね。日陰にいてもローションでブロンズの肌の色を演出することは簡単なのに、日陰にいて、且つ本当の「白い肌」を目指している日本人女性。そりゃ若く見えるわ～、ナットク。
職場では白い肌でいる方が賢明だと考える日本人女性。日焼けした顔は、女性の職場での権限や社会人としての常識を欠くと感じているようね。私たち西洋人だって、日焼けすることでアピールしている事があるのよ「私の人生は開放的！ 泳いで、ビーチで寝そべって…。え、ナニ？仕事？！」ってね（笑）。私は働く時間より、自由な時間をどう過ごすかという事に関心があるけれど、日本人の場合は人生の時間のほとんどを仕事に当てているみたい。外がまだ明るいうちはオフィスに残って働いていることが望ましい日本、サマータイムはしばらく実施されなさそうね。
日焼け止めによる健康効果は認めるけど、日焼けが職場での立場に影響するってのはまだ理解できない。私は、薄着で日光浴をしてるのを見られるのは一向に構わないけど、それよりも生徒たちに「肌、白いね」と”褒められ”るほうがなんだかビミョーなのよね。こっちは努力してせっせと肌を焼いているってのに（笑）。なんだかんだ言って結局、行き着く結論は一つ。「人間とは、持っていないものを欲しがる生き物だ」ということなのかもね、ドォデショ？！
Dodesho?
It’s the age-old question, literally, and it’s happened to all of us at least a few times. You’re drinking at your local izakaya when the Nihonjin nearby inevitably get up the courage to ask, “How old are you?” If you’re savvy and have mastered the rules of this game, you reply, “Guess,” at which point they “eeee” and “mmmm” for a few moments before giving what they assume to be a generously low number. In the end, you’re forced to tell them that you are, in truth, still a good five years younger than that, a fact met with complete shock and amazement by all Japanese in the vicinity.
It’s no headline news that Japanese look much younger for their age than do westerners. They are known to have a healthier diet, but as winter segues into spring and summer, another reason becomes apparent – Japanese, particularly women, take great care to stay out of the sun.
It was hard for me to understand at first, and to be honest, still is. During my first summer in Japan it surprised me that women seemed to wear more clothing in the heat than they did in the dead of winter. Long shorts replaced miniskirts, layered shirts covered chests, umbrellas shaded faces, and full-length gloves kept hands and arms delicately white. The last thing I want to do in Japan’s heavy, humid, summer air is don every item of clothing I own and carry an umbrella. On the contrary, I find myself embarrassed to run into my chugakusei outside of school on account of how little I wear in this weather. And even at school, during my free periods, I’m searching for that elusive outdoor locale that hides me from the eyes of students so I can lie down and catch some much desired rays for even a few minutes.
The desire for white skin in western society is rather antiquated, harkening back to a day when a tan linked sun exposure to outdoor labor. A fair complexion was prized for the social status it implied, of being able to stay indoors and have all work taken care of by slaves and servants. But these days, it’s a tan people want, especially in my native California. A bronze glow radiates health and freedom, despite any actual negative effects of tanning. Even amidst fears of skin cancer, tanning beds remain popular and profitable, and those who do care to watch out for their health cheat the system by using fake tan products including lotions, bronzers, or even spray-tan booths where you stand in a compromising position while dye is finely misted over your entire body.
I should have been prepared for the sun-fearing craze by the masses of specialized cosmetic products that dominate department store displays – white makeup, whitening creams, super-sunscreens, and more, offered by the same companies that are marketing bronzers on the other side of the globe. And while sun-protection is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Japanese manage to look so young, these products are proof that youth is not the driving factor behind the desire for white skin – they could easily stay out of the sun and use fake tan products, but instead they are actually striving for even whiter skin than shade and sunscreen can provide.
Some Japanese women claim it is wise to stay white in the professional environment. The July 2005 Dodesho noted that one reason Japan won’t conform to Daylight Savings Time Standards is because men don’t like to leave the office while it’s still light out – while the sun is shining, people are expected to be hard at work. Similarly, Japanese women feel that a tan makes them less authoritative or detracts from their legitimacy as professionals, perhaps for the same reasons that many westerners value a tan – it makes a statement of “Hey, I’m living the easy life, swimming, lying on the beach – work WHAT?” We place high value on having (or appearing to have) the means to enjoy more leisure than work, whereas Japanese prefer to play up their professional lives to make work appear to occupy the dominant portion of their time.
The health benefits of sun protection are obvious, but I’m not about to buy into the respect-in-the-workplace theory anytime soon. I, for one, gladly accept the odd stares from all around every time I step scantily clad into the sun and raise my face and arms to the sky in a glorious salute. The hardest part is trying not to cry when my students compliment me on my fair skin, pointing to their arms and mine in turn with exclamations of “Kuroi…shiroi!” Shiroi? But I’ve been tanning so dedicatedly! Then again, maybe underneath it all, that is the answer to this cultural question – we always want what we don’t have.
By Courtney Brigham, American, Sun Goddess / English teacher
Illustrations copyright Shirley Waisman 2006
Dodesho?
It’s the age-old question, literally, and it’s happened to all of us at least a few times. You’re drinking at your local izakaya when the Nihonjin nearby inevitably get up the courage to ask, “How old are you?” If you’re savvy and have mastered the rules of this game, you reply, “Guess,” at which point they “eeee” and “mmmm” for a few moments before giving what they assume to be a generously low number. In the end, you’re forced to tell them that you are, in truth, still a good five years younger than that, a fact met with complete shock and amazement by all Japanese in the vicinity.
It’s no headline news that Japanese look much younger for their age than do westerners. They are known to have a healthier diet, but as winter segues into spring and summer, another reason becomes apparent – Japanese, particularly women, take great care to stay out of the sun.
It was hard for me to understand at first, and to be honest, still is. During my first summer in Japan it surprised me that women seemed to wear more clothing in the heat than they did in the dead of winter. Long shorts replaced miniskirts, layered shirts covered chests, umbrellas shaded faces, and full-length gloves kept hands and arms delicately white. The last thing I want to do in Japan’s heavy, humid, summer air is don every item of clothing I own and carry an umbrella. On the contrary, I find myself embarrassed to run into my chugakusei outside of school on account of how little I wear in this weather. And even at school, during my free periods, I’m searching for that elusive outdoor locale that hides me from the eyes of students so I can lie down and catch some much desired rays for even a few minutes.
The desire for white skin in western society is rather antiquated, harkening back to a day when a tan linked sun exposure to outdoor labor. A fair complexion was prized for the social status it implied, of being able to stay indoors and have all work taken care of by slaves and servants. But these days, it’s a tan people want, especially in my native California. A bronze glow radiates health and freedom, despite any actual negative effects of tanning. Even amidst fears of skin cancer, tanning beds remain popular and profitable, and those who do care to watch out for their health cheat the system by using fake tan products including lotions, bronzers, or even spray-tan booths where you stand in a compromising position while dye is finely misted over your entire body.
I should have been prepared for the sun-fearing craze by the masses of specialized cosmetic products that dominate department store displays – white makeup, whitening creams, super-sunscreens, and more, offered by the same companies that are marketing bronzers on the other side of the globe. And while sun-protection is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Japanese manage to look so young, these products are proof that youth is not the driving factor behind the desire for white skin – they could easily stay out of the sun and use fake tan products, but instead they are actually striving for even whiter skin than shade and sunscreen can provide.
Some Japanese women claim it is wise to stay white in the professional environment. The July 2005 Dodesho noted that one reason Japan won’t conform to Daylight Savings Time Standards is because men don’t like to leave the office while it’s still light out – while the sun is shining, people are expected to be hard at work. Similarly, Japanese women feel that a tan makes them less authoritative or detracts from their legitimacy as professionals, perhaps for the same reasons that many westerners value a tan – it makes a statement of “Hey, I’m living the easy life, swimming, lying on the beach – work WHAT?” We place high value on having (or appearing to have) the means to enjoy more leisure than work, whereas Japanese prefer to play up their professional lives to make work appear to occupy the dominant portion of their time.
The health benefits of sun protection are obvious, but I’m not about to buy into the respect-in-the-workplace theory anytime soon. I, for one, gladly accept the odd stares from all around every time I step scantily clad into the sun and raise my face and arms to the sky in a glorious salute. The hardest part is trying not to cry when my students compliment me on my fair skin, pointing to their arms and mine in turn with exclamations of “Kuroi…shiroi!” Shiroi? But I’ve been tanning so dedicatedly! Then again, maybe underneath it all, that is the answer to this cultural question – we always want what we don’t have.
By Courtney Brigham, American, Sun Goddess / English teacher
Illustrations copyright Shirley Waisman 2006
Dodesho?
It’s the age-old question, literally, and it’s happened to all of us at least a few times. You’re drinking at your local izakaya when the Nihonjin nearby inevitably get up the courage to ask, “How old are you?” If you’re savvy and have mastered the rules of this game, you reply, “Guess,” at which point they “eeee” and “mmmm” for a few moments before giving what they assume to be a generously low number. In the end, you’re forced to tell them that you are, in truth, still a good five years younger than that, a fact met with complete shock and amazement by all Japanese in the vicinity.
It’s no headline news that Japanese look much younger for their age than do westerners. They are known to have a healthier diet, but as winter segues into spring and summer, another reason becomes apparent – Japanese, particularly women, take great care to stay out of the sun.
It was hard for me to understand at first, and to be honest, still is. During my first summer in Japan it surprised me that women seemed to wear more clothing in the heat than they did in the dead of winter. Long shorts replaced miniskirts, layered shirts covered chests, umbrellas shaded faces, and full-length gloves kept hands and arms delicately white. The last thing I want to do in Japan’s heavy, humid, summer air is don every item of clothing I own and carry an umbrella. On the contrary, I find myself embarrassed to run into my chugakusei outside of school on account of how little I wear in this weather. And even at school, during my free periods, I’m searching for that elusive outdoor locale that hides me from the eyes of students so I can lie down and catch some much desired rays for even a few minutes.
The desire for white skin in western society is rather antiquated, harkening back to a day when a tan linked sun exposure to outdoor labor. A fair complexion was prized for the social status it implied, of being able to stay indoors and have all work taken care of by slaves and servants. But these days, it’s a tan people want, especially in my native California. A bronze glow radiates health and freedom, despite any actual negative effects of tanning. Even amidst fears of skin cancer, tanning beds remain popular and profitable, and those who do care to watch out for their health cheat the system by using fake tan products including lotions, bronzers, or even spray-tan booths where you stand in a compromising position while dye is finely misted over your entire body.
I should have been prepared for the sun-fearing craze by the masses of specialized cosmetic products that dominate department store displays – white makeup, whitening creams, super-sunscreens, and more, offered by the same companies that are marketing bronzers on the other side of the globe. And while sun-protection is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Japanese manage to look so young, these products are proof that youth is not the driving factor behind the desire for white skin – they could easily stay out of the sun and use fake tan products, but instead they are actually striving for even whiter skin than shade and sunscreen can provide.
Some Japanese women claim it is wise to stay white in the professional environment. The July 2005 Dodesho noted that one reason Japan won’t conform to Daylight Savings Time Standards is because men don’t like to leave the office while it’s still light out – while the sun is shining, people are expected to be hard at work. Similarly, Japanese women feel that a tan makes them less authoritative or detracts from their legitimacy as professionals, perhaps for the same reasons that many westerners value a tan – it makes a statement of “Hey, I’m living the easy life, swimming, lying on the beach – work WHAT?” We place high value on having (or appearing to have) the means to enjoy more leisure than work, whereas Japanese prefer to play up their professional lives to make work appear to occupy the dominant portion of their time.
The health benefits of sun protection are obvious, but I’m not about to buy into the respect-in-the-workplace theory anytime soon. I, for one, gladly accept the odd stares from all around every time I step scantily clad into the sun and raise my face and arms to the sky in a glorious salute. The hardest part is trying not to cry when my students compliment me on my fair skin, pointing to their arms and mine in turn with exclamations of “Kuroi…shiroi!” Shiroi? But I’ve been tanning so dedicatedly! Then again, maybe underneath it all, that is the answer to this cultural question – we always want what we don’t have.
By Courtney Brigham, American, Sun Goddess / English teacher
Illustrations copyright Shirley Waisman 2006
ドォデショ？
西洋人の私たちからすると日本人って実年齢より若く見えるよね？ 健康的な食習慣のせいもあるけれど、理由はカンタン。夏が近づくとこぞって始める「日焼け」対策にあり！
日本に来てすぐの頃、夏なのに厚着した女性達を見て驚いたわ。冬にはミニスカートを履いてたのに、何故か夏はロングパンツ、シャツも重ね着、傘や手袋で顔や腕などデリケートな白い肌を隠す。・・・夏にありったけの洋服を着て傘をさす、なんて絶対真似できない。だって私なんて、学校の休み時間には人になるべく見つからない場所で、日光を浴びてたりするくらいなんだもの！
西洋では、「白く透き通る肌」ってのは必ずしも珍重されるわけではないのね。どちらかというと、使用人に囲まれ贅沢優雅な暮らしをしていた時代の古めかしいイメージかな。近年の、特にカリフォルニアでの日焼けブームは凄いものがあって、皮膚ガンのリスクがあると分かっていても、こんがりと焼けた肌は健康と自由の象徴！健康志向の人たちは、妥協策としてカラーローションやスプレー等の”フェイク日焼け”グッズを使ってブロンズの肌を演出してるほど。
かわって、日本。驚いたのはデパートの棚に並ぶコスメの数々。おしろい、ホワイトニング、ローション、強力な日焼け止め…。地球の反対側で同じメーカーが売っているのは「フェイク日焼けグッズ」なのにね。日陰にいてもローションでブロンズの肌の色を演出することは簡単なのに、日陰にいて、且つ本当の「白い肌」を目指している日本人女性。そりゃ若く見えるわ～、ナットク。
職場では白い肌でいる方が賢明だと考える日本人女性。日焼けした顔は、女性の職場での権限や社会人としての常識を欠くと感じているようね。私たち西洋人だって、日焼けすることでアピールしている事があるのよ「私の人生は開放的！ 泳いで、ビーチで寝そべって…。え、ナニ？仕事？！」ってね（笑）。私は働く時間より、自由な時間をどう過ごすかという事に関心があるけれど、日本人の場合は人生の時間のほとんどを仕事に当てているみたい。外がまだ明るいうちはオフィスに残って働いていることが望ましい日本、サマータイムはしばらく実施されなさそうね。
日焼け止めによる健康効果は認めるけど、日焼けが職場での立場に影響するってのはまだ理解できない。私は、薄着で日光浴をしてるのを見られるのは一向に構わないけど、それよりも生徒たちに「肌、白いね」と”褒められ”るほうがなんだかビミョーなのよね。こっちは努力してせっせと肌を焼いているってのに（笑）。なんだかんだ言って結局、行き着く結論は一つ。「人間とは、持っていないものを欲しがる生き物だ」ということなのかもね、ドォデショ？！
Dodesho?
It’s the age-old question, literally, and it’s happened to all of us at least a few times. You’re drinking at your local izakaya when the Nihonjin nearby inevitably get up the courage to ask, “How old are you?” If you’re savvy and have mastered the rules of this game, you reply, “Guess,” at which point they “eeee” and “mmmm” for a few moments before giving what they assume to be a generously low number. In the end, you’re forced to tell them that you are, in truth, still a good five years younger than that, a fact met with complete shock and amazement by all Japanese in the vicinity.
It’s no headline news that Japanese look much younger for their age than do westerners. They are known to have a healthier diet, but as winter segues into spring and summer, another reason becomes apparent – Japanese, particularly women, take great care to stay out of the sun.
It was hard for me to understand at first, and to be honest, still is. During my first summer in Japan it surprised me that women seemed to wear more clothing in the heat than they did in the dead of winter. Long shorts replaced miniskirts, layered shirts covered chests, umbrellas shaded faces, and full-length gloves kept hands and arms delicately white. The last thing I want to do in Japan’s heavy, humid, summer air is don every item of clothing I own and carry an umbrella. On the contrary, I find myself embarrassed to run into my chugakusei outside of school on account of how little I wear in this weather. And even at school, during my free periods, I’m searching for that elusive outdoor locale that hides me from the eyes of students so I can lie down and catch some much desired rays for even a few minutes.
The desire for white skin in western society is rather antiquated, harkening back to a day when a tan linked sun exposure to outdoor labor. A fair complexion was prized for the social status it implied, of being able to stay indoors and have all work taken care of by slaves and servants. But these days, it’s a tan people want, especially in my native California. A bronze glow radiates health and freedom, despite any actual negative effects of tanning. Even amidst fears of skin cancer, tanning beds remain popular and profitable, and those who do care to watch out for their health cheat the system by using fake tan products including lotions, bronzers, or even spray-tan booths where you stand in a compromising position while dye is finely misted over your entire body.
I should have been prepared for the sun-fearing craze by the masses of specialized cosmetic products that dominate department store displays – white makeup, whitening creams, super-sunscreens, and more, offered by the same companies that are marketing bronzers on the other side of the globe. And while sun-protection is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Japanese manage to look so young, these products are proof that youth is not the driving factor behind the desire for white skin – they could easily stay out of the sun and use fake tan products, but instead they are actually striving for even whiter skin than shade and sunscreen can provide.
Some Japanese women claim it is wise to stay white in the professional environment. The July 2005 Dodesho noted that one reason Japan won’t conform to Daylight Savings Time Standards is because men don’t like to leave the office while it’s still light out – while the sun is shining, people are expected to be hard at work. Similarly, Japanese women feel that a tan makes them less authoritative or detracts from their legitimacy as professionals, perhaps for the same reasons that many westerners value a tan – it makes a statement of “Hey, I’m living the easy life, swimming, lying on the beach – work WHAT?” We place high value on having (or appearing to have) the means to enjoy more leisure than work, whereas Japanese prefer to play up their professional lives to make work appear to occupy the dominant portion of their time.
The health benefits of sun protection are obvious, but I’m not about to buy into the respect-in-the-workplace theory anytime soon. I, for one, gladly accept the odd stares from all around every time I step scantily clad into the sun and raise my face and arms to the sky in a glorious salute. The hardest part is trying not to cry when my students compliment me on my fair skin, pointing to their arms and mine in turn with exclamations of “Kuroi…shiroi!” Shiroi? But I’ve been tanning so dedicatedly! Then again, maybe underneath it all, that is the answer to this cultural question – we always want what we don’t have.
By Courtney Brigham, American, Sun Goddess / English teacher
Illustrations copyright Shirley Waisman 2006
Dodesho?
It’s the age-old question, literally, and it’s happened to all of us at least a few times. You’re drinking at your local izakaya when the Nihonjin nearby inevitably get up the courage to ask, “How old are you?” If you’re savvy and have mastered the rules of this game, you reply, “Guess,” at which point they “eeee” and “mmmm” for a few moments before giving what they assume to be a generously low number. In the end, you’re forced to tell them that you are, in truth, still a good five years younger than that, a fact met with complete shock and amazement by all Japanese in the vicinity.
It’s no headline news that Japanese look much younger for their age than do westerners. They are known to have a healthier diet, but as winter segues into spring and summer, another reason becomes apparent – Japanese, particularly women, take great care to stay out of the sun.
It was hard for me to understand at first, and to be honest, still is. During my first summer in Japan it surprised me that women seemed to wear more clothing in the heat than they did in the dead of winter. Long shorts replaced miniskirts, layered shirts covered chests, umbrellas shaded faces, and full-length gloves kept hands and arms delicately white. The last thing I want to do in Japan’s heavy, humid, summer air is don every item of clothing I own and carry an umbrella. On the contrary, I find myself embarrassed to run into my chugakusei outside of school on account of how little I wear in this weather. And even at school, during my free periods, I’m searching for that elusive outdoor locale that hides me from the eyes of students so I can lie down and catch some much desired rays for even a few minutes.
The desire for white skin in western society is rather antiquated, harkening back to a day when a tan linked sun exposure to outdoor labor. A fair complexion was prized for the social status it implied, of being able to stay indoors and have all work taken care of by slaves and servants. But these days, it’s a tan people want, especially in my native California. A bronze glow radiates health and freedom, despite any actual negative effects of tanning. Even amidst fears of skin cancer, tanning beds remain popular and profitable, and those who do care to watch out for their health cheat the system by using fake tan products including lotions, bronzers, or even spray-tan booths where you stand in a compromising position while dye is finely misted over your entire body.
I should have been prepared for the sun-fearing craze by the masses of specialized cosmetic products that dominate department store displays – white makeup, whitening creams, super-sunscreens, and more, offered by the same companies that are marketing bronzers on the other side of the globe. And while sun-protection is undoubtedly one of the reasons why Japanese manage to look so young, these products are proof that youth is not the driving factor behind the desire for white skin – they could easily stay out of the sun and use fake tan products, but instead they are actually striving for even whiter skin than shade and sunscreen can provide.
Some Japanese women claim it is wise to stay white in the professional environment. The July 2005 Dodesho noted that one reason Japan won’t conform to Daylight Savings Time Standards is because men don’t like to leave the office while it’s still light out – while the sun is shining, people are expected to be hard at work. Similarly, Japanese women feel that a tan makes them less authoritative or detracts from their legitimacy as professionals, perhaps for the same reasons that many westerners value a tan – it makes a statement of “Hey, I’m living the easy life, swimming, lying on the beach – work WHAT?” We place high value on having (or appearing to have) the means to enjoy more leisure than work, whereas Japanese prefer to play up their professional lives to make work appear to occupy the dominant portion of their time.
The health benefits of sun protection are obvious, but I’m not about to buy into the respect-in-the-workplace theory anytime soon. I, for one, gladly accept the odd stares from all around every time I step scantily clad into the sun and raise my face and arms to the sky in a glorious salute. The hardest part is trying not to cry when my students compliment me on my fair skin, pointing to their arms and mine in turn with exclamations of “Kuroi…shiroi!” Shiroi? But I’ve been tanning so dedicatedly! Then again, maybe underneath it all, that is the answer to this cultural question – we always want what we don’t have.
By Courtney Brigham, American, Sun Goddess / English teacher
Illustrations copyright Shirley Waisman 2006
