Japan Raises the Male Beauty Bar

2006-12-11 | 08:40

A new breed of self-pampering, appearance-conscious guys is driving a rapidly expanding male beauty business in Japan. And it's not just the Japanese pretty boys in their 20s and 30s anymore. The metrosexual movement in Japan is evolving into a sizable business. The men's beauty care market has doubled in the past six years and now rakes in $248 million in annual revenues, according to Yano Research Institute in Tokyo. Domestic sales of men's cosmetics, boosted by skincare products, are up 30% since 2001 and advanced 12% last year to $124 million, according to figures compiled by the Economy, Trade & Industry Minisry. A recent survey by Japanese cosmetics company Shiseido indicated that more than 70% of male respondents think it is important to take care of their appearance, and 15% spend more than $17 a month on cosmetics. The cultural shift owes much to a growing awareness that a good appearance matters in the business world, be it that critical first job interview or winning new deals, figures Kaori Ishida, an assistant professor at Komazawa Women's University in Tokyo, who specializes in the philosophical study of cosmetics. "Recently ordinary Japanese men, starting with salesmen, have become aware of the need to make a good impression in order to get business," says Ishida. The trend really gained traction back in 2003 with the Japanese translation of the U.S. bestseller: The Metrosexual Guide to Style: A Handbook for the Modern Man by Michael Flocker. A book entitled Hito-Wa Mikake Ga Kyu-Wari (translation: 99% of a person's impression is created by appearance) is a current best seller. Web sites on male beauty tips and self-care have cropped up, and there is even a blog produced and hosted by a group called the Metrosexual Promotion Committee. Men's magazines such as LEO have published many special reports on men's skin care. So there are some serious dollars to be made. Shiseido launched a men's skin care brand called Shiseido––prices run from $25 to $60––sales grew 20% in 2005. In March, Rohto Pharmaceutical, the largest manufacturer of over-the-counter eye care products, entered the men's cosmetics market with the Oxy brand of skin care products, which is selling faster than expected. And in September, Ryohin Keikaku, which produces the Seiyu department store chain's private label household goods brand Mujirushi, moved into men's skin care products for the first time. Within a month, more than 10,000 items were selling every week, and the company raised its annual sales target three times to $2.6 million. Encouraged, Ryohin Keikaku is planning to introduce new items next spring. Foreign cosmetic makers have also seen a change in fortune. Younger Japanese men are flocking to a hot-selling product from Estée Lauder called Aramis Age Rescue, which goes for $57 for a 49 gram bottle of cream. Earlier in the decade, such men's beauty products had a tough time in Japan, though fragrances sold reasonably well.