Gender

Visual K bands are an extreme representation, but the gender lines in Japan are blurring. Looking at a Visual K band it can be difficult at times to say for sure that all the members are in fact men, despite the fact that they all are. While not a common sight while walking around the city aspects of their more feminine style can be seen. One of the most apparent changes men do as they groom themselves and shape their appearance, is pluck their eye brows. I admit to grooming my eyebrows, but just enough to make sure that I do not have a uni brow. Controlling the shape and thickness of eyebrows seems to be a more common thing for men to do in Japan. In a general grooming survey for Japanese men about 28% of the 515 men asked said that they were grooming their eyebrows. Since it seems like a common practice I had assumed that Japanese girls maybe found a more groomed man more attractive, but when I asked Yuki, a girl that lives in the dorms with me, she said that guys with their eyebrows plucked too much look a little strange. There are even pages in magazines dedicated to showing a man how to pluck his brow, and the men's grooming section is just as large as the women's grooming section. So maybe they are just more well groomed, however there is a fine line between well groomed and looking feminine.
I would like to thank my friend for letting me take a picture of his well groomed eye.
http://whatjapanthinks.com/2007/10/16/japanese-men-and-personal-grooming-part-2-of-2/