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If you hadn’t already noticed, “cute” is a huge part of Japanese culture. From franchised characters known around the world (yes, all the usual favorites like Hello Kitty and Pokémon, to name but two) to local government mascots, Japan is full of cute in various shapes and sizes. But when it comes to passing judgment on what constitutes cute behavior from girls and what doesn’t, there seems to be a significant difference of opinion between the sexes.

See what you think of the opinion of some Japanese men collected on Japanese summary site NAVER Matome. Does any of it ring a bell?

Things Women Do (thinking it’s cute) that Men Find Not So Cute:

1. Doing the “Duck” Mouth           photo: by jdsmith1021

Girls, if you think sticking out your lips like a duck bill is cute, you may want to think again, because here’s what some men had to say:

- “Girls making a forced duck mouth is really annoying.”
- “Maybe it’s cute in a way, but to me it looks unnatural and ends up being irritating.”

2. Eating Like a Bird           photo: by qcom

Based on comments like those below, men seem to like girls who eat heartily, rather than picking at half a salad:

- “It’s annoying to see girls leave food untouched saying that they’re too full.”
- “When a girl doesn’t eat a lot, you worry if she didn’t like the food or wasn’t enjoying herself. It kind of takes the fun out of the meal.”

Okay, maybe many guys actually feel this way, but it also sounds suspiciously like it would be the socially correct thing for men to say. Why do I get the feeling that a good number of men would also be turned off by a woman stuffing herself with food? (How many times have you heard someone say, “She eats like a pig”?)

3. Fancy Manicures          photo: by Lelê Breveglieri

Yes, girls can spend a good deal of money getting their nails done, but it seems like many men are at best indifferent to women’s nails, commenting as follows:

- “Women can do what they like with their nails, but personally, I don’t think done-up nails are particularly stylish or pretty.”
- “I prefer nails that are just well cared for, not manicured. They look nice and clean that way.”

4. Physical Contact            photo: by Fenias courtesy of Stock Free Images

Tempted to make physical contact with a guy you like? It may have the opposite of the desired effect, if these remarks are anything to go by:

- “Maybe some guys like physical contact, but for me, excessive body contact from a girl is a turn off. It makes you wonder if she has a whole lot of experience dealing with men.”
- “Regardless of where or how, I really can’t stand being touched.”

Well, Japanese people have never been big on close physical contact. In fact, the NAVER Matome article mentions that close to 20% of men who made their opinion known on the subject were quite uncomfortable with being touched.

5. Fake Eyelashes          photo: by Rb-studio courtesy of Stock Free Images

Yes, fake eyelashes actually ranked number one in a past COBS ONLINE  survey asking men in their twenties which women’s make-up item they found most difficult to understand or appreciate. As one male Internet user puts it, “It really doesn’t make much difference whether a girl is wearing fake eyelashes or not.” This may be upsetting news for some women, because at least judging from what this writer has seen in magazines and shops, there seem to be plenty of young girls who look like they would readily admit that they can’t live without fake eyelashes.

So, did any of the comments surprise you? Sure, the definition of “cute” is entirely subjective, and to complicate matters for guys trying to understand what’s going on in a woman’s mind, Japanese girls tend to call everything and anything “kawaii (oh so cute!)”. If you girls want to be sure you’re not off the mark though, it can’t hurt to ask a male friend if he thinks something is cute or not. You may be surprised at what you discover with fresh input from someone of the opposite sex. But after all that’s said and done, we hope you won’t be afraid to pursue what you think is cute (unless it’s a crime or something you wouldn’t want your future children to know about)!

Source: NAVER Matome (Japanese)

Top Image: by Lisavan courtesy of Stock Free Images