Here
and
Now

kuchikomi

Japanese women's breast size boasts 40 years of continued growth

46 Comments
Photo: Triumph International

Well, there's no denying it any more: the size of Japanese mammaries have become larger. We know this thanks to a survey by lingerie manufacturer Triumph International Japan, which recently made public the results of its research.

According to Nikkan Gendai (Aug 7), the subjects of the survey were Japanese females between the ages of 20 through 60 years. And when the data was confirmed, Triumph found that while only 4.5% of its customers  had required a D-cup size bra or larger back in 1980, that percentage had expanded to 17.6% by 1990. By 2018, the percentage had swelled impressively to 53.1%. Or in other words, a remarkable twelve-fold increase over 40 years.

Interestingly, the 17.5 centimeter average measurement from the underside of the breast to the top had not shown any appreciable change during those four decades. Which means the size of the breasts themselves had definitely become larger.

Naturally Nikkan Gendai's reporter wants to know why.

"There are two reasons for this," explained Shuko Sakata, manager of brand marketing at Triumph. "The first is changes in the diet, such as increased meat consumption and westernization in general. The other is because we manufacturers have become better at teaching customers the correct way to select a brassiere. When putting on their bras, women tend to lean forward and by so doing gravity collects fleshy parts on the sides of their torso to fill up the cup. That alone can increase cup size by as much as two sizes."

Mutsuko Taniguchi, a veteran stylist with some 40 years in the trade, is in agreement.

"These days when women put on their bra, they press in their flesh from four directions -- from the sides below their arms, up from their stomach area and then downwards from their collarbones. Doing this produces more cleavage, and posture benefits from an overall improvement," she said.

Japan has a culture of exposure, says Taniguchi, so women here want to emphasize their cleavage, whereas these days western females tend to dress in a way that enables their left and right breasts independent movement.

Arata Samon, a doctor and author, estimates that 70 to 80% of women's breast sizes are determined by heredity.

"But for the remaining 20% or so, nutrition has a certain effect," he says. "About 90% of a breast is composed of fat cells. The levels of body fat are determined at three life stages: while still an embryo, while nursing up to around age 3, and then at puberty. If one's mother ingests a lot of beef or pork during pregnancy, the number of fat cells in the fetus will increase. Then what they consume as children and adolescents, such as meat, dairy products, fried chicken, convenience store sandwiches and so on, will enhance the size of the breasts. If you look back at dietary changes over the past 40 years, the greater ingestion of fats has definitely had an impact on women's breast size."

And no doubt we can look forward to continued growth in the future, the writer says.

© Japan Today

©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.

46 Comments
Login to comment

But the increased use of breast implants has nothing to do with it....

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Aleluya. But how much more do they want?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Let me be the first to express gratitude for this welcome distraction from news of crimes and toxic world politics.

15 ( +18 / -3 )

Flat is justice, you know ?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

 If you look back at dietary changes over the past 40 years, the greater ingestion of fats has definitely had an impact on women's breast size."

This statement is noteworthy to me on Japanese dietary habits pre, in and post war.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I disagree with the following. I find Japanese young and especially middle and older women to not want to boast cleavage and breast size unlike American women, and often heading towards obesity want everyone to look. Showing cleavage does not show beauty when the rest of the parts are loaded with cellulite and other unhealthy displays of the human physique.

Japan has a culture of exposure, says Taniguchi, so women here want to emphasize their cleavage

12 ( +14 / -2 )

The day (back in 1997) my breasts got bigger than my wife’s, I died a little....

18 ( +20 / -2 )

I'm sure Japanese men everywhere are rejoicing....

6 ( +9 / -3 )

Small breasts are best!

I'm sure Japanese men everywhere are rejoicing....

That one made me spit my coffee out! Hee hee!

8 ( +10 / -2 )

After 40 years of continued growth few women would want to flaunt them, lol.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

There was plenty of room for growth. Now, if they could just get that (lack of) rear end taken care of soon.

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

so, fatties have bigger boobs and more Japanese women are fat... cutting edge research there innit?

11 ( +14 / -3 )

An increase in sales of D-cup size bras; does that include padded bras?

Could it be partly due to an increase in purchases by foreign women?

I wish I hadn't read about how women fill up their bras with the fleshy parts surrounding their breasts.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

JT is so useful for keeping abreast of important trends...

0 ( +4 / -4 )

JT is so useful for keeping abreast of important trends...

I agree but not everybody here has a firm grasp of the subject.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

That headline sure is a mouthful.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

An old joke:

How many breasts does a Japanese woman have?

ni-mai.

4 ( +8 / -4 )

Send photos.......

1 ( +3 / -2 )

shonanbbAug. 7  11:59 am JST I disagree with the following. I find Japanese young and especially middle and older women to not want to boast cleavage and breast size unlike American women, and often heading towards obesity want everyone to look. Showing cleavage does not show beauty when the rest of the parts are loaded with cellulite and other unhealthy displays of the human physique.

It never fails. There's always someone who feels the need to denigrate those of another nationality whilst commenting on an article about Japanese women.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

As long as the woman is happy & proud of what she has then all's good & fine.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Men like breasts. Big breasts are great. Nothing wrong with that.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Also, some men like small breasts, some like big, some don't really care and some prefer other men.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

I bet the same is true all over the world.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Also, some men like small breasts, some like big, some don't really care and some prefer other men.

Everyone loves boobies. Even most gay men!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Disclaimer: I say this as a most hetero male with no malice or axe grinding involved.

When I see a woman with large breasts, I feel pity. I am a biologist and while breasts are breasts in the Human Reality sense of attractive, in the physical reality sense large breasts are a deformity, large sacks of useless fat whose only purpose in gigantism is as secondary sexual attractant. No Human baby is going to require 2 X 3 kilo of pure lard to make it through til weening. And no Human needs 6 kilo of fat hanging pendulously and ponderously from their bodies, getting in the way of activities, and in senescence, turning into waist length flaps which must be flipped up on the shoulder to wash under. I say this is no way intending to be humorous. Large breasts are sad, IMHO. Small breasts are best.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Also, some men like small breasts,

Some.

some like big

Most

,some don't really care

Some say they don’t but very few don’t care.

and some prefer other men.

Some. As pointed about above, some gay men like them too.

Overall, I think we can say the majority of men like breasts and most like big breasts. Many Japanese women I’ve met said they’d like bigger breasts.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

There’s a very simple explanation for this aside from the diet changes, less arranged marriages. More men can choose their wives and the votes are in.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

There’s a very simple explanation for this aside from the diet changes, less arranged marriages. More men can choose their wives and the votes are in.

Um, we're talking a 40 year time scale. Genetic change through breeding takes more than a single generation. So no, your "very simple" explanation, is over-simple, because it's incorrect.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

 I say this is no way intending to be humorous. Large breasts are sad, IMHO. Small breasts are best.

Breasts are certainly an attractant but a woman can go only so much if she ain't got brains or personality. Look at Pamela Anderson, Spice Girls and Sarah Palin. Their lack of intelligence (and class) deep-sixes everything. I want a real woman, not an airhead doll.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Also, some men like small breasts, some like big, some don't really care and some prefer other men.

Other men with breasts?

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Japanese girls gotta keep up with the Joneses

1 ( +1 / -0 )

In the great words of Sojiro Sakura...

"Hoooo boy!"

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Reckless: Apparently you are the only one who doesn't know the type of poor souls, often with undescended testicles, who say things like that. But don't worry. Our American engineers have developed enlargement implants for that too. You'll still be stuck at 10 cm length, but you can have it made as fat as you like. And they have different 'shape' styles. You sound like a 'cauliflower'...

Regarding bust size, you might notice the difference in breast size in ads for, say, Budlight versus, hmmm, Mercedes Roadsters which reflects 'different' tastes (among other things). In any case in the U.S., plastic surgeons make their nut doing breast reductions which outnumber enhancements. A quote from the website of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons:

   "Breast reductions are consistently reported as one of the highest patient satisfaction procedures because it positively affects a woman's quality of life. It addresses both functional and aesthetic concerns," said ASPS President Jeffrey E. Janis, MD.

And perhaps 'pity' was an easily misinterpreted term. It's more of a directed sadness that anyone would have to deal with such things. For LIFE! For myself, a well rounded and firm tuchus shows more of the 'character' of the woman, if one is taking those sorts of notes. Does she respect her body and exercise? Eat too much? Sit all day? Has had children? And watching it growing smaller at times simply means she's not interested. And I think oshiri no otoko have better luck in the long term because they're mostly looking into the person's eyes whereas the mammary-blinded make much less eye contact, I'm told. I wonder what yoga-butt cheeks with nipples would look like...(it's okay, Mods, we're all adults here even if we don't sound like it)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Small breasts are built for speed. I can do without the flopping about.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

@black sabbath

An old joke:

How many breasts does a Japanese woman have?

ni-mai.

Comment of the day!!!!!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

These are nothing but wild claims that can't hold as science without actual evidence,

of course I'm talking about pictures :)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I can handle that !!

Send pics or not true !!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Chiropractors here must be rubbing their hands together in expectation of future “growth”.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A few days ago there was an article in this publication stating that Japan's population was decreasing. Are an increase in one thing, and a decrease in the other, somehow related? I don't believe so, but it does seem funny.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Not sure I totally buy the diet change thing. Asian American women, while surrounded by western diet, don't seem to be all that different in shape from their old country counterparts. Not scientific, just from my keen observations.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Historically, I should say. Meaning, I haven't noticed a big change over the years in either parts of the world

0 ( +0 / -0 )

What the survey has forgot to add, is how many woman like or embraced the concept/fact that they have a moor fuller figure!,

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@William Bjornson Just want to say Semper Fi my dude. I do have to disagree with you though on the biology point though. From a biological viewpoint you can look at larger breasts as a form of evolution of the human appearance. Most living organisms have a basic biological instinct hard-coded in their DNA to pass on their genes. Essentially everything alive wants to reproduce in some way or another. That mean if desirable traits like larger breasts start to become more prevalent it's most likely by biological design through evolution. This very well could be an example of exaptation. Although the feature wasn't formed by natural selection for its current use you could look at it as a feature that has arisen from natural selection and co-opted for its function of mate attraction. I don't disagree with you that most women with overly large breasts find relief in breast reduction surgeries. There are several studies that link possible health issues with larger breasts in middle aged to older women. I just think that the entire human genome is so vast and complicated it can't be simplified by you and I.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A little history lesson from the book Yakuza written in the 1970s about the Japanese underworld. It seems that during the occupation of Japan after WWII, that the American GIs didn't much like the small breasts of the Japanese prostitutes, so the Yakuza pimps began injecting electrical grade silicone obtained from the US Military on the black market into the breasts of the unfortunate young women that worked for them. This had the short-term effect of increasing their bust size and making the women more popular with the but unfortunately the stuff not being inside an implant would migrate.

This practice is still in use in Mexico in unlicensed cosmetic surgery clinics and people who work out of their garages. It probably takes place in other Asian countries still today. I recall seeing a Vietnamese Stripper in Houston Texas that caused me to almost jump out of my chair when she took her top off. She had the knarliest set of boobs, I've ever seen in my sixty-seven years. She had been butchered by raw silicone injections.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites