Handsomeness is regular nose hair plucking
What do Japanese men think being handsome is? Do they themselves want to be handsome? This rather intriguing subject was investigated in a survey conducted by DIMSDRIVE Research and sponsored by DIME magazine, a rather popular trend-watching magazine. I hope there will be a follow-up for the women to describe what they think a man is, or for them to describe beautifulness.
Demographics
Over the 31st of May and the first of June 2007 2,990 male members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group replied to a private internet-based questionnaire. 0.7% were in their teens, 9.6% in their twenties, 26.5% in their thirties, 34.5% in their forties, 19.2% in their fifties, and 9.5% aged sixty or older.
I wouldn’t consider myself handsome (note that the word I translated as “handsome” is 男前, otokomae, although the meaning is perhaps closer to having an aura of manliness or charisma. The ALC dictionary amusingly translates it as studmuffin!), but I think (or at least I hope!) my wife would disagree. As for my regular personal grooming habits, I don’t think that pulling out nose hairs with my bare hands at home or at the office really counts for much. You may also note that getting one’s teeth regularly descaled or whitened didn’t rate even in the Other category of Q6.
If I were to name a handsome man, I’d probably choose Sean Connery.
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