Japanese intimate apparel maker investigates the tastes of Japanese men both hot-blooded and not, offers suggestions to capture their hearts.


One of the more significant Japanese cultural buzzwords to emerge in recent years is soushoku danshi, or “herbivore men.” It’s not a reference to vegetarians, but to guys who don’t actively pursue female companionship.

On the other end of the spectrum are nikushoku danshi, the “carnivore men” who lead more proactive love lives. But though herbivore guys don’t put as much effort into trying to meet women, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested in the opposite sex, just that they aren’t willing to expend much energy in hopes of making a romantic connection happen.

Japanese lingerie maker Peach John wondered if herbivore and carnivore men might also have different lingerie preferences, and so they conducted a survey to get some answers. 318 men in their 20s, 30s, and early 40s were polled with 29 percent self-identifying as herbivores and the remainder as carnivores.

Peach John started off by asking what color of lingerie each group liked to see on a woman, and surprisingly both demographics had the same top two picks. Tastes diverged after that, with carnivores, appropriately, feeling more favorably about colors you could also find in a prime cut of meat.

● Favorite lingerie color (herbivore men)
1. Black (24 percent of respondents)
2. White (17 percent)
3. Navy (percentage not given)
4. Blue
5 (tie). Mint green/pink

● Favorite lingerie color (carnivore men)
1. Black (25 percent)
2. White (12 percent)
3. Pastel pink
4. Red
5. Pink

Peach John then asked about overall design aesthetics, offering each group a choice between “sexy,” “cute,” or “simple” lingerie, with the carnivores reacting far more positively to the first option, although both made “sexy” their top choice. Surprisingly, it was the herbivore men who made cute their clear-cut last choice.

● Favorite lingerie style (herbivore men)
1. Sexy (48 percent)
2. Simple (29 percent)
3. Cute (23 percent)

● Favorite lingerie style (carnivore men)
1. Sexy (66 percent)
2 (tie). Simple (17 percent)
2 (tie). Cute (17 percent)

Finally, Peach John got particular about panties, and polled each group on what sort of lower-body lingerie they liked. While their rankings were the same, carnivores showed themselves to be more than twice as enthusiastic in thong support.

● Favorite pantie style (herbivore men)
1. Cheeky/low-rise (57 percent)
2. Bikini (30 percent)
2. Thong/T-back (12 percent)

● Favorite pantie style (carnivore men)
1. Cheeky/low-rise (42 percent)
2. Bikini (30 percent)
2. Thong/T-back (26 percent)

Based on its finding, Peach John then suggested one set of lingerie aimed at firing up the heart of herbivore men, and another to do the same for carnivores.

▼ For herbivores

▼ For carnivores

Now we’re left to wonder where Peach John’s Sailor Moon, One Piece, and kimono-style offerings fit within the lingerie food pyramid.

Source, images: PR Times
[ Read in Japanese ]

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