The 'Business Nail'
When searching on the internet, one can find interesting things. So did I. The metrosexual is a common aspect in this society I think. It is seen all around us. Boys with skinny jeans, man who use facial scrubs, boys with well catered hear… But I didnt think about men… in costume… with nail polish.
Japanese nail polish
As we think about men with female habits, we can come up with a lot of things. Nail polish is a new thing for me actually. In the western countries, actually almost all over the world, you don’t óften see men walking around with varnished nails. Sometimes, I see an alternative person walking around with black polished nails. But that’s it. In Japan on the other hand, nail polish has been part of the male culture since a short matter of time. It is super normal for the young Japanese business men out there. But why?
Where does it come from?
Because this article had catched my eye, I wanted to know where this came from. And remarkable enough, male nails have been polished since the Heian period (794-1185). Ninja’s painted the mark of their clan on their left thumbnail. And for a reason I found out. Intruders could be spotted more easy, because they had another (or non…) painting on their nails. It is there for a reason.
It’s a real business
Now days, young Japanese business employees in Tokyo and Osaka have taken over these ninja habits. And they also do it by purpose. This ‘Business Nail’ (Bijinesu Neiru) is used by men to get rewarded at the office. And how funny that sounds to me, it works. “My boss saw my nails and struck up a conversation … two months later, I became his personal assistant” (Jin, employee at a major media enterprise based in Tokyo). By decoration their nails, men hope to impress their bosses and to upgrade their status and to make a mark.
More than a standard
Besides that, some men actually use nail polish (like the alternatives as I sad), the Business Nail is new. Here in Holland, I cannot imagine that I would decorate my nails, wearing a suite, as a tactic to upgrade my place in a company. That is the innovative part, because one uses the polish for a different reason, besides that it’s a beauty standard. And if you get a promotion out of it, it makes you a more happy and satisfied person. Therefore, it helps to empower your Quality of Life! The strong business man, with a soft side.
Interested, curious? If you want read the full story behind it, I command you to look at the follow sites I have visited too.
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