is a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

term meaning "beautifully white" which was coined in the early 1900s with the emergence of

skin whitening Skin whitening, also known as skin lightening and skin bleaching, is the practice of using chemical substances in an attempt to lighten the skin or provide an even skin color by reducing the melanin concentration in the skin. Several chemicals ha ...

products and cosmetics. Even in ancient Japanese

haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or s ...

there have been numerous references to this term.

Summary

Although skin tone differs based on a person's racial background, those with fair skin have difficulty maintaining skin tone due to a lack of melanin production. In Japan the preference for skin that is white and free of blemishes has been documented since at least the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...

(794–1185), as in books like ''

The Pillow Book is a book of observations and musings recorded by Sei Shōnagon during her time as court lady to Empress Consort Teishi during the 990s and early 1000s in Heian-period Japan. The book was completed in the year 1002. The work is a collection o ...

'' and '' The Tale of Genji''. There is an old proverb , which refers to a white-skinned woman being beautiful even if her features are not attractive. Following

Japanese colonial rule in Taiwan The island of Taiwan, together with the Penghu Islands, became a dependency of Japan in 1895, when the Qing dynasty ceded Fujian-Taiwan Province in the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese War. The sh ...

(1895–1945), Taiwanese women were consumers of Japanese skin whitening products in the 20th century.

Mainland China "Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...

has also become a large market for products from companies like Shiseido,

Shu Uemura () was a Japanese make-up artist and founder of the cosmetics line which bears his name. Career A native of Tokyo, Shu Uemura reportedly first became interested in hairstyling and make up as a teenager while recovering from a severe illness whic ...

and SK-II in the 21st century. Further expansion into the pan-Asian markets may be represented by Girls' Generation partnership with Dior in 2011 to advertise their lightening cream, appealing to Korean Wave culture consumers. products are highly popular among mature women. They are also popular with teenage girls and those in their twenties who desire to look like pop singers, such as

Ayumi Hamasaki is a Japanese singer, songwriter, record producer, actress, model, spokesperson, and entrepreneur. By 2002, Hamasaki had earned the nickname "Empress of J-pop" due to her popularity in Japan and throughout Asia. Due to her success and relevanc ...

, and are promoted in numerous youth fashion magazines such as ''

Popteen ''Popteen'' is a monthly teenage fashion magazine published by the ''Kadokawa Haruki Corporation'' in Japan. The first issue was published on 1 October 1980 by ''Kadokawa Shoten''. Later issues were published by ''Asuka Shinsha'' who bought the ...

'' and ''S Cawaii!''. products are also prevalent and a key item in numerous youth subcultures such as and girls. An opposition to the idea of fair skin beauty grew with the subculture called in the 1990s which later died out by the end of the 2000s.

Lightening methods

The popular method of is to use cosmetics that stop the production of melanin. Traditionally, was used to lighten skin tone, although today it is considered a luxury item. The most popular products often contain and

rice bran Bran, also known as miller's bran, is the hard outer layers of cereal grain. It consists of the combined aleurone and pericarp. Corn (maize) bran also includes the pedicel (tip cap). Along with germ, it is an integral part of whole grains, ...

, which contain

kojic acid Kojic acid is a chelation agent produced by several species of fungi, especially ''Aspergillus oryzae'', which has the Japanese common name ''koji''. Kojic acid is a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice, for use in the manufactur ...

. For skin whitening cosmetics for use by the public, the

Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare The is a cabinet level ministry of the Japanese government. It is commonly known as in Japan. The ministry provides services on health, labour and welfare. It was formed with the merger of the former Ministry of Health and Welfare or and the ...

has recognized a combination of

active ingredient An active ingredient is any ingredient that provides biologically active or other direct effect in the diagnosis, cure, mitigation, treatment, or prevention of disease or to affect the structure or any function of the body of humans or animals. The ...

s. These are mainly

arbutin Arbutin is a glycoside; a glycosylated hydroquinone extracted from the bearberry plant in the genus ''Arctostaphylos'' among many other medicinal plants, primarily in the family Ericaceae. Applied topically, it inhibits tyrosinase and thus prev ...

and kojic acid. Other ingredients include

vitamin C Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid and ascorbate) is a water-soluble vitamin found in citrus and other fruits and vegetables, also sold as a dietary supplement and as a topical 'serum' ingredient to treat melasma (dark pigment spots) ...

derivatives and

tranexamic acid Tranexamic acid (TXA) is a medication used to treat or prevent excessive blood loss from major trauma, postpartum bleeding, surgery, tooth removal, nosebleeds, and heavy menstruation. It is also used for hereditary angioedema. It is taken eit ...

. Many of these active ingredients work through inhibiting

catechol oxidase Catechol oxidase is a copper oxidase that contains a type 3 di-copper cofactor and catalyzes the oxidation of ortho-diphenols into ortho-quinones coupled with the reducing agent, reduction of molecular oxygen to water. It is present in a variet ...

. Some types of BB cream, VIORIS products are also said to have skin whitening effects, which contributes to the popularity of the cream in Asian markets.

Notes

References

{{Cosmetics, state=expanded Asian culture Beauty Discrimination based on skin color Cosmetics Light skin Japanese culture Japanese fashion

Summary

Lightening methods

See also

Notes

References