Podcast summary and Notes on "sandaibijin"

50 Is Yamaguchi cursed to have"ugly" girls? (Places in Japan Known for "Beautiful" & "Ugly" Women)

On this episode of Ichimon Japan we ask: Is Yamaguchi cursed to have "ugly" girls? We also discuss other places in Japan known for having many beautiful/ugly women.

Topics Discussed

The three most scenic views in Japan
What the Sandaibijin (三大美人) is
What places in Japan are most known for having beautiful women
Fukuoka (Hakata), Akita, and Kyoto's status as places in Japan known for having many beautiful women
How Kanazawa/Ishikawa/Kaga is known for having beautiful women
Some theories about why Hakata, Akita and Kyoto (supposedly) have so many beautiful women
The theory that short days and humid climate contributes to the white and moist skin of Akita's women
How white/fair skin is considered beautiful by many in Japan
The theory that the women of Kyoto are cultured and refined so that results in there being so many beautiful women in Kyoto
The theory that collagen consumption via motsunabe and chicken helps produce the beautiful women of Hakata
How pleasure districts might be connected to the impression that Akita, Fukuoka, and Kyoto have many beautiful women
The idea that the Sea of Japan side of Japan is home to many beautiful women
The theory that genetic mixing may be a reason for why the Sea of Japan side of Japan supposedly has so many beautiful women
What the Sandaibusu (三大ブス) is
The three places in Japan known for having "ugly women"
Sendai, Nagoya, and Mito's status as the three places in Japan known for having many ugly women
The theory that claims Tokugawa Yoshifusa sent groups of "ugly" women to Sendai, Nagoya, and Wakayama
Nagoya's reputation as a boring place
The so-called urban legend that women from Yamaguchi are all ugly
The story of Oman's curse as a possible explanation for why women from Yamaguchi are supposedly ugly
Throwing snakes at women
And much more!

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Sources, Links, Videos, Etc.

Here are some of the Japanese language articles found when researching the topic of this episode.

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Japanese Vocabulary List

Most episodes feature at least one or two interesting Japanese words or phrases. Here’s some of the ones that came up on this episode. All information is from Jim Breen's WWWJDIC.

Bijin
Busu

We Want Your Questions

Is there something about Japan that confuses you? Is there something about Japanese culture that you would like to learn more about? Is there something in Japanese history that you would like us to explain? We're always looking for new questions about Japan to answer, so if you have one, please send it to ichimon@japankyo.com.