And now for something hairy: A new gizmo and a short story about body hair and Tanuki (badger dogs)
How much body hair is enough? How much is not enough? Why is it good to have plenty on your head but not on your legs? Why do American adult films have a prevalence of women with completely shaven pudenda? Why do Japanese women tend not to shave their pubic hairs?
What started me on this chain of serious pontification, was a tweet from one of my favorite journalists covering Japan, Hiroko Tabuchi. (@hirokotabuchi if you want some good japan related tweets to read). The tweet in question: Unshaven Women: Free Spirits or Unkempt?http://nyti.ms/9tbMPW “Is the fear that no man will want you and your hairy legs valid?” The article in the NYT itself was fairly interesting.
For hairy Japanese and barbarians.
In Japan, a certain degree of hairiness used to be considered sexy, in both men and women. Body shaving wasn’t the big deal it is now as Western influences permeate Japan. Men, now, are also expected to be hairless. This seems odd to me. It’s as if Japanese men have agreed to neuter themselves. And of course, there are products to help rid them of any trace of icky manliness, such as the No! No! for Men neo-laser razor. Perfect for getting rid of those stray stomach hairs, or any hint of a five-o-clock shadow.
Three years ago, on a very long sleepless night, I had a strange dream about badger-dogs (tanuki) which I turned into a long short story. It’s my pontifications on hair, culture, and Japan from the viewpoint of a literate bake-tanuki, or were-badger dog. Obviously, it was inspired by the Miyazki Hayao film about Tanuki, several years ago, which I watched on the night I had the dream. Whatever.
Anyway, for your enjoyment, I’m posting it here. It’s crude, rude, and probably inappropriate but then again anyway you talk about it, “pubic hair” is quite a mouthful. For your reading pleasure: Letters From An Angry Werebadgerdog first edit. If anyone would like to contribute illustrations, it would be appreciated.
(I think ‘pudenta’ should be ‘pudenda.’)
I’ll go read the story now!
>Why do Japanese women tend not to shave their pubic hairs?
wheres the answer to this?
heh, most amusing nightmare induced writing… glad I didn’t have such dreams after seeing pom poko.
Guess I’m SOL… being like a viking means not smooth, luckily still have all the hair on my scalp too. So if chicks dig the hairless manboy they’s going elsewhere anyway. hehe, before they even figure out that I’m middle aged too.
So tell me… if ever I visit, will the public run away from the 6′ tall viking looking tourist dude?
The beginning is a bit slow but it really picks up after that first letter, eh!
Thanks. Tanuki’s are slow to anger.
I wouldn’t worry about it. After the release of “My darling is a foreigner” you’ll probably be mobbed with women who’d love to date you. (I’m not really sure about that. lol).
Middle-age doesn’t mean too much in Japan, as long as you have a job, are reasonably polite, and not horribly grotesque, you could do all right.
@Mark. Because they’re not walking around nude all the time. Many trim them during the summer so they don’t peek out of their swimsuit. But really, other than that, when it comes to shaving their pubic hairs, why should they?
You are right–”pundenda” is the correct word.
Hilarious. I salute you! Particularly liked Taro’s question “why do you want women to look like underage shells?”, or something to that effect!
Japanese women may not go in for Brazilians but I do see a lot of shaved arms. That must take a hell of a lot of maintenance.
Thanks Sophie! I wrote the thing in one giant burst of insomnia and coffee nerves and it turned out pretty much the way I wanted it to.
Yes, I think shaving arms must be a tremendous pain in the ass.