re: #367 freetoken

Yup. When I was in Japan, there was a definitely strong current in the culture whereby beauty was associated with lighter skin.

Now, there are of course young people who have attempted the counter-culture thing, dressing up in bronze skin and strangely colored hair.

But the mainstream was really all-in for skin lightening products.

Which, if you consider the historical associations, makes some sense. Only the upper classes wouldn’t have to be out working in the sun in order to feed themselves, and could thereby avoid the sun and resulting tan. So lighter skin becomes associated with wealth and higher status. This used to be the case in Western culture too*; it’s only a somewhat recent phenomenon that sees tan as in.

* For sure British culture around the 1810-1820s period, which is the one I can speak to women’s fashion with the most knowledge.