Japanese 'Herbivores' Shun Sex, Machismo

They're out to pasture early
By Mat Probasco,  Newser Staff
Posted Jul 27, 2009 5:07 AM CDT
Japanese 'Herbivores' Shun Sex, Machismo
Cherchez la femme not.   (©Zia deda)

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.
(More Japan stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X