JapanUp! magazine

Porcelain Skin vs. Sun-Kissed Tan If you walk down the streets of Santa Monica, the local beauty standard often leans toward a “Sun-Kissed” look—bronzed skin, heavy contouring, and a glowing tan that suggests a lifestyle spent at the beach. In Los Angeles, makeup is often used to create strong, sculpted features and a powerful presence. However, if you step into a department store in Tokyo, the goal is the exact opposite. Japanese makeup is obsessed with “Bihaku” (Beautifully White Skin). The ideal is a flawless, porcelain-like complexion that looks soft, hydrated, and “mochi-mochi” (bouncy). Instead of darkening the skin with…

The Foreign Language Nightmare If you grow up speaking English, learning to read is relatively straightforward. You memorize 26 letters, learn how they sound together, and you are ready to read a book. But for anyone trying to learn Japanese, reading is a massive, highly intimidating hurdle. The Japanese language is globally unique because it doesn’t just use one writing system—it actively uses three entirely different scripts in the exact same sentence: Kanji, Hiragana, and Katakana. To a foreigner, looking at a Japanese newspaper looks like a chaotic mix of complex Chinese symbols, flowing cursive lines, and sharp, robotic strokes.…

The Hollywood White vs. The Samurai Black If you live in Los Angeles, the ultimate standard of dental beauty is a blindingly white, perfectly straight Hollywood smile. People spend thousands of dollars on whitening strips and bleaching treatments. But if you were to travel back in time to Japan during the Edo Period (1603-1868), you would witness the exact opposite beauty standard. For centuries, Japanese women (and sometimes men!) actively painted their teeth pitch black. This startling practice, known as “Ohaguro” (Black Teeth), looks like a terrifying Halloween costume to a modern Westerner, but in traditional Japan, it was considered…