The many faces of Japanese women

Pattaya - Japanese women do not defy stereotypes, in fact the Japanese have a name for almost every stereotype known, but Japanese women simply choose the one they like to portray at a time convenient to them.

Some of the types of women revealed at today's Planet Japan Returns: An Encyclopedia of Japanese Woman, included the OL (Office Lady), Yoru-Arai, Ohi Tori-sama, Mama-tomo and Joshi-Kosei.

Moderated by Eight Partnership's Chris Kyme, the session was presented by Noriko Natsume of ADK Japan, Ayu Sasaki of Dentsu Japan, and Mariya Yasunami of Hakuhodo Japan.

Natsume kicked off the presentation by illustrating examples of OLs who see work life as a prelude to marriage and one of the things they spend their time on is attending matchmaking or singles sessions.

Yoru-Arai, on the other hand, are a cross between Japan's ‘Salary man', or workaholic, and the ideal housewife. A consumer insight gleaned from these women is that they are so busy juggling work and family that often the only time they have to do the laundry is at night.

Style Fit, a detergent brand, specifically targeted Yoru-Arai in a campaign, communicating the proposition that clothes washed and hung at night can be kept in just as good condition as if one were to wash them in the day.

QR Codes and sampling at drug stores and video rental stores were some of the tools used to reach these women on their way home from work, just before they do the laundry. The TVCs positioned laundry time as relaxation time and time for communicating with the children.

Other types of Japanese women were targeted for their group attributes such as the Mama-tomo, who are mothers who are friends, as well as the Joshi-Kosei (high school girls) who spend 75.5 minutes a day on SMS but only 19.8 minutes calling on their mobile phones.

Last but not least, the presentation culminated in the panelists agreeing that while Japanese women traditionally focused on making themselves more kawaii (unique, the ideal Japanese woman), many women nowadays aspire to be beautiful in the more Western sense of the word.

"We've created a new definition of Japanese beauty which is being yourself," Natsume said, illustrating the point with a case study on the Tsubaki haircare launch by Shiseido which celebrates the modern Japanese woman.