Does any one know why Japanese women in ancient times shave their eye brows and blacken their teeth?

Question

What is the significance of this practice?

Answer 1

As many others have answered before yes it was indeed fashion. It was a fashion established during the Heian Period in Japan (794-1192). This important period in Japan was time when the emerging nation was copying a lot of Chinese customs.

Japan though had to set up its own national identity of how men and women should look and act. This was based cheifly through the writings of Murasaki Shikibu and her book "The Tale of Genji" often considered the world's first novel. And Sei Shonagon's "The Pillow Book"

the standard beauty of women during this time was for them to be very pale, have thin drawn eyebrows, and blackend teeth. This fashion style would be copied through subsequent periods of Japanese history. Seen later during the Tokogawa Era in the form of the Geisha.

The image Japanese women as small, meek, pale with thin eyebrows is so intoned into Japanese culture through history that in modern times a trend of girls fashion called ganguro girls is supposed to be a standard of anti beauty. Young girls will tan their skin, bleach their black hair blond and wear platform shoes to try to stand above everyone. (they are supposed to appear like American barbies [ironic?])

Answer 2

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Surely, it must have been deemed fashionable.

The Vietnamese also adopted this practice, I believe. I don't remember which it originated from.

In 1938 a French survey found 80% of the countryside folk of Vietnam had blackened teeth. Medieval kings of Vietnam and other Southeast Asian countries blackened their teeth and wore tattoos.

Answer 3

blackened teeth were a sign of being in an important families,government officials had their teeth blackened

Answer 4

For beauty, my dear, for beauty. It may not seem beautiful to us now, but an examination of fashion in history, or an outside look at fashion now will tell you that women do all sorts of things for beauty.

How do I know about Japan. 20 years living there.

Maggie

Answer 5

I would say they did that for the same reason they pluck their eyebrows, whiten their teeth, and whiten their skin today - it is considered "beautiful" in their society.

Answer 6

Eye brows I guess is like girls nowadays shave their legs.

But I get the feeling the teeth part is pure BS.

EDIT:
^How does that answer warrant 4 thumbs down??

Answer 7

To make them look more attractive! - Lets face it once you reach rock bottom the only way to go is up!

Answer 8

It was considered to be fashionable.

Answer 9

it was kinda like the style for women.