This is just a rant ab some trivial matter but I rly wanted to talk ab it. But there’s something I’ve been noticing more and more since coming to Tokyo. And a lot of the people I know or meet end up doing modeling. I go to Sophia FLA. It’s supposed to be one of the more international universities here. Maybe it’s just the environment I’m in, but the only people I ever see modeling are the ones who look white. European, Russian, sometimes American, or half (waisians).
I’ve been socializing hard for over a year and I still haven’t seen a single fully East Asian person modeling. Especially not a guy.
The people who get signed all have the same look. Pale skin, deep-set eyes, tall nose bridge, sharp jawline. Even the half-Japanese people who model only seem to get picked when they lean Western. You don’t see monolids, flat noses, wide faces. They’re just not getting booked.
One of my friends who models told me straight up: agencies here don’t want fully Asian faces. They always go for the Western-looking ones.
I do like to go out at night and I see these types of models everywhere. Most of them are here for like three months. They’re not doing it for the money. They just want to live in Japan for a bit, get photos, do some shoots, post about it, move on. There’s ofc nothing wrong with that but it becomes increasingly difficult to ignore when all the people u see are basically of the same ethnicity.
I didn’t grow up around any of this. I went to a small high school in rural Chiba and never cared about modeling or beauty standards. But Tokyo changed that. I see the types of people who get invited places, complimented more, treated better fit that same look.
Not gonna lie, it’s been messing with how I see myself. I find myself thinking that no matter how well I dress, how in shape I am, or how clean I keep myself, I’m still working with the wrong face. And then I started thinking maybe Asian guys are just objectively seen as less attractive. Like if you put me next to a white guy, and we’re equal in every other way, people are going to react more to him. I don’t even question that anymore.
Nobody rly talks ab it. I try bringing it up and people just brush it off. But I’ve been watching it play out for over a year now. I’ve seen how people treat my friends who model. They’re good people, but they get more attention, more respect, more opportunities because they have the right kind of face that checks the right boxes. Looks matter so much and it’s been ingrained in me.
That’s all. Just something I’ve been thinking about.
by Parking_Attitude_519