These are the features currently making people swoon across the country.

Beauty ideals vary widely around the globe, and if you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll know it’s not only women who put the time and effort into their appearance here; men are just as keen on preening and grooming as well.

So what constitutes a handsome man in Japan? Illustrator and Twitter user @m_msak7, who goes by the name Masaki online, has been studying popular looks while working in animation, and he’s come up with a list of features that he believes are commonly seen on handsome men today.

To highlight each point, Masaki drew this sketch, which received almost 50,000 likes in just a fortnight.

▼ “These days, I feel like this kind of boy is popular. A widely popular type. I’m eternally jealous.” 

According to Masaki, the man that gets a lot of attention in Japan has the following features:

Eyes

  • Upper eyelids have no fold (or there’s a hidden double eyelid)
  • Has eye bags
  • A space between eyebrows and eyes
  • Eyebrows are horizontal (or slant downwards)

Mouth

  • Upper lip is extremely thin

Nose

  • The bridge of the nose is beautiful

Hair

  • Hair is black
  • Always beautifully set (in a cool style)

Masaki sums up the entire look as having “a bit of a sleepy feel”. While the character he’s drawn certainly does look as if he’s just stepped out of bed, Masaki says this type of popular boy is also really pumped up when with friends, to show just how cool he is. 

Reactions from people online were a mixed bag, with some entirely agreeing with the points made, and others poking fun at the list with illustrations like this:

▼ “But that’s this type of face”

Masaki was quick to point out that this was just his own personal observation, and related mostly to men in their early-to-mid twenties. Many users came to Masaki’s defence with images of current celebrities that aligned perfectly with the list of features mentioned in the artist’s sketch, proving that there really is a common “look” currently in vogue amongst young male celebrities in Japan.

A quick look around our own office throws up a whole number of sleepy-looking men who could be viable candidates for the “popular boy” look described in the artwork. Although with their current very uncool hairstyles, it’s safe to say we’ll be looking outside of the workplace to find Masaki’s handsome man.

Source: Kinisoku
Featured image: Twitter/@m_msak7