2009-11-25

radio story, 'herbivore' men of Japan

feature story on National Public Radio by Louisa Lim,
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120696816
 
[here is the opening text]
 
The sensitive New Age man has finally arrived in the land of the salaryman. But there is a catch — a particularly important one in Japan, where the declining birthrate has caused alarm: The new Japanese man doesn't appear to be interested in women or sex.
 
In Tokyo on the weekends, the trendy area of Harajuku is a melting pot of urban tribes: Lolita goths bat their fake eyelashes, while the punks glower.
 
Away from the strutting are the retiring wallflowers, a quiet army of sweet young men with floppy hair and skinny jeans. These young men are becoming known as Japan's "herbivores" — from the Japanese phrase for "grass-eating boys" — guys who are heterosexual but who say they aren't really interested in matters of the flesh.
 
... [see also the video illustrating typical "herbivores"] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q885V-lviCA

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