Japan 'Herbivore Men' Abstain From Sex, Business Careers

As a result of Japan's languishing economy, a growing population of young adult males is deeming themselves "herbivores" and pursuing a radically different lifestyle than traditionally expected, Reuters reports. Herbivores derive their name from their disinterest in flesh--or the pursuit of women--and, according to a survey cited by Reuters, are a growing population of rebels who have no wish to follow in the corporate footsteps of their fathers.

Forget being a workaholic, corporate salary-man. These men, raised as the economic bubble burst, are turning their backs on Japan's stereotypical male roles in what is seen as a symptom of growing disillusionment in their country's troubled economy.

"Since I was a child, I hated people telling me, 'Behave like a man'," said Roshinante, who runs a forum on popular Japanese social network site Mixi for frank discussion about herbivores.

Roshinante, the 'herbivore' whom the Reuters story centers on, rejects the money-driven careers and attention-seeking purchases endemic during economic bubbles, especially during the 1980s in Japan, and his different perspective as a consumer intrigues marketing experts. Due to the herbivores' abstention from material extravagance, though, they will presumably be a tougher market to break into.

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Comments

[MichelleDenise64]

03:10 PM on 07/28/2009

You guys are mean, WOW

Internet courage is all the rage huh?

[JeanRR]

07:46 AM on 07/28/2009

All the herbivores I know are very interested in sex. Just where do you think all those goat analogies came from?

[aspertame2]

05:08 AM on 07/28/2009

I'm trying to think up some vapid "metrosexuality caused by poverty" headline for HP's followup, but it's not clicking.

Guess I can understand financial straits reducing dietary choices, but seriously: "And I'm not having sex. With any gender. Anymore!"???? What exactly goes into the vegan food in Japan?

Then again, my teen loves those androgynous moody boys from the Mangas, so maybe there's just something I'm missing here. Do vampires fit into this story, somehow?

[Maanu]

04:40 AM on 07/28/2009

It's just a different approach to life, try it on for size, see if it fits for right now, not forever.
But it is an attempt at thinking outside the box, something quite normal in the homogeneous Japanese culture, and in that respect its sort of a survival method.

We could all stand to benefit from rethinking what is going on in this recession, when overnight people are evicted and starving while houses are empty and food goes uneaten. It makes no friggin sense.

[IDIOTA]

02:35 AM on 07/28/2009

The headline makes them sound like a gay cult -- not that there's anything wrong with that, unless sarin is involved. I just racially profiled Japanese cults.

[rbryanh]

02:57 AM on 07/28/2009

I'm trying to figure out how you get "gay" out of this list:

Japan. Herbivore. Men. Abstain. From. Sex. Business. Careers.

Ah - got it. Remove everything except "men" and "sex".

You have a really unique approach to reading.

[IDIOTA]

03:55 AM on 07/28/2009

It was a poor joke, my example of profiling and stereotyping. Since it failed, I won't explain.

[climatebabes]

02:27 AM on 07/28/2009

'they will presumably be a tougher market to break into.', such a sad attitude.

[Skedaddle]

01:30 AM on 07/28/2009

these guys got it all figured out.

[lionzion]

01:24 AM on 07/28/2009

Japanese herbivores are nothing but American style slackers, but I least our slackers still desperatly want to get laid. I feel sorry for their women. Not packing a whole lot, and refusing to use it too. I am taking a job in Tokyo.. To the rescue ladies!..

[KarateKid]

07:28 AM on 07/28/2009

ooooh, "not packing a whole lot".....nasty.

[Xentrix]

10:43 AM on 07/28/2009

Enjoy the STDs, lionzion!

[Sodapopinski]

11:56 PM on 07/27/2009

Thought the herbivores die out in the tie dye era.

[xtiangodloki]

11:44 PM on 07/27/2009

Wow this is a bad article. The actual article went a lot deeper than what's written here.

At the end of the day most of the these people have been laid off or could not find full time jobs. So they are forced into this lifestyle, but are too thin-skinned to admit otherwise. The real problem in Japan is the fact that companies are hiring part-time people to avoid paying social benefits. While this is more or less the normal in the US (hello Walmart) life time employment was the normal in Japan until more recently.

As someone already wrote, the comments are much better than the article. I love the japo-philes takes on Japan :)

[GigsLaroo]

02:29 AM on 07/28/2009

I feel daft, but WHERE IS the actual article? Link?

[zascreamer]

11:39 PM on 07/27/2009

I live in japan. Most japanese men get their jollies by watching porno animation and reading porno comic books while gratifying themselves. They've never known how to talk to girls. This isn't anything new.

[benderramma]

10:56 PM on 07/27/2009

Well, I see this as a natural reaction... a push back, against our consumptive society. Powerless people invoking power. We should all be so lucky. Look into the mirror. We are getting screwed coming and going and I hear...nothing but whine, while hidden corporate power reveals itself upon the world and speaks, "I see you. I know all about you. I reach out and touch you."

[TheyAllSuck]

11:14 PM on 07/27/2009

Call it the "Fight Club" mentality. Americans are a tad too violent in nature to be called "herbivores"

[PersonaNonGrated]

09:45 PM on 07/27/2009

So, they're nerdy guys who have given up on finding a woman.

Well, it's better than self-delusion, I guess.

[johnosahon]

09:40 PM on 07/27/2009

i thought we already had a name for this before GAY MEN.

[PersonaNonGrated]

09:42 PM on 07/27/2009

Don't gay guys have sex? These guys don't.

[Rand Johnson]

12:30 AM on 07/28/2009

ummm... that's only if the men have sex with men, you dolt. in order to have a sexual preference one must prefer to have sex. quit quipping and read the article a little more fully next time. jeez...

[breakingpoint]

09:38 PM on 07/27/2009

The comments here are better than the article