ARE JAPANESE GIRLS IN GOOD SHAPE FOR REAL?

Michael Machida Career Search Consultant Tokyo, Japan

You have all seen them. Movies. NetFlix. YouTube. Japanese girls are in great shape, right?

Not so fast. Sure, Japanese girls look like they are not fat, however I have noticed something is a bit off.

Now, when I say Japanese girls are in shape - I do not generalize. Not all Japanese girls are in great shape.

However, a lot of people that visit Japan to locate and secure a new job with the assistance of TheJEGroup! ask me why Japanese Girls are in perfect shape.

I have a lot of friends in Japan. Been here for about 24 years and I have been told by some of the women here who look like they are in great shape - that they never take the stairs up to the office because they get tired after only a few flights.

When I go to the sports center every week, what I see are a lot of men at the gym and high school aged girls and a few university aged women however not a lot of 30, 40, or 50 somethings.

Sure, you may see a group of women doing aerobics, however for the most part - the men out number the women by a long shot.

So, why do most Japanese women look like they are in great shape?

Most are just slim. Not in great health. You see, most women in Japan eat small portions during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

The thinking is, food should not be eaten to get full. Food should be eaten for the taste.

In America, most people eat to get full. Think of The Whopper. The Big Mac. Oversize Me. You get the point.

In my office, the receptionist is skinny. Age is about 40. Eats a banana and a rice ball every day. She looks like she is in perfect healthy shape, but ask her to life a box or walk to the store to buy some office supplies and I get a lot of noise from her telling me she does not feel good.

The food that most Japanese people eat is actually not good for them. Sure, traditional Japanese food is healthy - fish, rice, and miso soup. However, these days modern Japanese food is deep fried. Or has a ton on salt. And, has a lot of fat in the meat that the Japanese love.

Another reason Japanese women are slim is because most do not drive cars to work especially here in Tokyo. So, they take public transportation that gives them a little exercise walking up and down stairs. For most, this is the only exercise they get.

I had a Japanese female friend who looked like she is in perfect healthy shape, however when she raised her arm, the jiggles in her arms were apparent. But when she wears a suit, she looks like she works out or is just a fashion model.

Also, Japanese people have a different kind of body type than Western people.

So while they look healthy, most Doctors in Japan tell them during their health checks that they have a body fat content that is way to high - ever though they look healthy.

One more thing is, most Japanese women do not like to have muscles. So they go overboard to eat little and exercise a little.

There are exceptions to what I am writing of course. However for the most part - Japanese women are slim albeit not so healthy as you might think.

DID YOU SEE THIS? >>> Can Not Find A Job In Japan?