Gendering Knowledge in Discourse on Japan's Herbivore Boys

This thesis examines the public discourse about a group of Japanese men called soshokudanshi, or herbivore boys. Herbivore boys are commonly depicted as young men in their twenties and thirties who are heterosexual, yet uninterested in such heterosexually normative activities as dating and sex. They are often described by journalists as androgynous and passive, more concerned with consumption than the production-oriented masculinities of Japan's older generation. At stake in discourse is precisely this tension between Japan's older and newer masculinities, between conservative gender ideology and the new challenges young men present to gender roles and heterosexuality. After their introduction into public discourse, soshokudanshi sparked national attention, propelled by feelings of outrage and indignation at these young, allegedly irresponsible men who neither show interest in marriage nor in holding down full-time jobs, the hallmark of corporate masculinity under 1980s Japan. In refusing to adhere to the strictly delineated lifestages that Japanese society expects its members to follow, herbivore boys problematize naturalized assumptions about gender. At the same time, they draw attention to the failure of hegemonic masculinity, the dominant form of manhood which increasing appears outdated in light of women's growing autonomy and the recent emphasis on lifestyle-based identities. Yet despite widespread media attention, few if any young men would call themselves herbivore boys. Rather, soshokudanshi is a label created in and through discourse by older members of Japanese society. By analyzing public discourses in the mass media, this thesis argues that older Japanese men construct herbivore boys as a scapegoat on which to cast blame for Japan's low birthrate and stagnating economy, while simultaneously excluding young men from participating in the discussion. It further suggests that the conversation about soshokudanshi is a site where knowledge is commodified per the general trend in advanced capitalist economies