Framing and shaming body size in Japan | Melbourne Asia Review
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In Japan, slender bodies are prized and body size is regarded as a personal responsibility. Meanwhile, Japan’s government views the trend of increasing average body weight as a public health problem. In this social milieu, how do those with non-conforming body sizes feel about themselves? How is Japan’s conception of body image changing? Gender studies researcher Associate Professor Claire Maree and cultural anthropologist Associate Professor Cindi SturtzSreetharan examine the relationships between body size, body image and culture with presenter Ali Moore.

An Asia Institute podcast. Produced and edited by profactual.com. Music by audionautix.com. Transcript here.

Main image (L-R): Associate Professor Cindi SturtzSreetharan and Associate Professor Claire Maree.

Listing Image: Japanese dolls. Credit:Victoria Pickering/Flickr.

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