Japan's Middle-Aged Men Start to Preen
June 10, 2005
NAGAKUTE, Japan -- The dance music throbs as the men jaunt down the runway, showing off the latest in summer corporate fashion: pinstripe jackets and shirts unbuttoned rakishly to mid-chest.
But you won't find many chiseled features on the faces of these models -- instead of young turks in their prime, the men strutting before the crowd are wispy-haired company executives in their 50s or older.
After decades of lavishing clothes, cosmetics and accessories on free-spending young women, Japan's billion-dollar vanity industry has discovered the consumer of the future: the middle-aged man.
"Mr. Company President is sexy!" gushed an announcer as Toyota Motor's chairman of the board, Hiroshi Okuda, showed off a sharp black suit and pants at a fashion show this week at the 2005 World Fair.
Okuda, 72, is not alone in keeping a close eye on his appearance.
Glossy fashion magazines aimed at middle-aged men are selling well, and department stores have revamped their men's sections to cash in on the trend. New products aimed at male vanity abound.
It's quite a turnaround for middle-aged Japanese men, or "oyaji," who have long been considered anything but fashionable.
The oyaji has also been the target of cultural derision. Teenage daughters are known to refuse to have their clothes washed in the same load with their fathers'; some wives refer to their retired husbands as "sodai gomi" -- big garbage.
"Many of our readers experienced the bubble economy when they were young," said Ichiro Kishida, editor-in-chief of LEON, a fashion magazine for older men. "I think they still can't give up on sexy stuff like this, even though they are middle-aged men now."
LEON is one of the most visible purveyors of the trend. Founded in 2003, its circulation has exploded in the past year, from 38,000 a month to 70,000.
The magazine typifies the image the new oyaji are striving for: a dashing Italian in pink slacks and black shirt graces the cover. "This is what's new with Italian `Oyaji'!" the headline reads. Inside, advertisements for Armani, Bulgari and Boss follow in quick succession.
Retail also is changing its focus to plumb the growing market. Japan's youth-centered clothing chain United Arrow started a new line of stores this spring -- Darjeeling Days -- offering young-looking but upscale leisure wear for 50-year-olds.
Darjeeling Days is clearly for a mature audience, with dark wood furnishings and a soft leather sofa for customers to relax in while the cashier tallies the bill. A casual sports jacket and simple white shirt can go for $500.
Fuse said their target is men aged 45-60.
"Those people have money, but they don't have a place to spend it," he said. "A lot of them think, `Why don't I dabble a little in fashion?'"
The FULL monty here
