Japanese 'Herbivores' Shun Sex, Machismo

They're out to pasture early

By Mat Probasco, Newser Staff

Posted Jul 27, 2009 5:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Turning their backs on sexual conquest, macho posturing, and corporate ladder climbing, a growing number of Japanese men are seeking a quiet, non-competitive life, reports Reuters. A Japanese marketing firm found almost half of 1,000 men aged 20-34 surveyed identified themselves as so-called "herbivores," a term that plays on their lack of taste for the flesh.

The late 1980s Japanese economic bubble burst led many men to lose faith in the salary-slave lifestyle of their fathers. "In the bubble era, whatever led to consumption was good and people measured their worth by money," said columnist Maki Fukasawa. "But herbivorous men don't buy things to show off." For many, a taste for the lifestyle began long ago. "Since I was a child, I hated people telling me, 'Behave like a man,'" said one herbivore.

[Images (3)]

[Quotes (1)]

Cherchez la femme not. (©Zia deda)

Out of the rat race. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Taking the easy way. (©kennymatic)

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"I don't think my parents' way of life is for me. I still struggle between the traditional notion of how men should be and how I am." - Roshinante, who has given up the traditional Japanese male role.

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Japanese 'Herbivores' Shun Sex, Machismo