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Japan's Cinderella Motif: Beauty Industry and Mass Culture Interpretations of a Popular Icon

The tale of Cinderella is firmly entrenched in the global imagination as that of a pitiable girl who transforms into a stunning example of Euroamerican beauty in which her magnificent gown and sparkling accoutrements enable her to capture the heart of a handsome prince. Cinderella proved to be immensely popular in Japan. Her name appears in countless manga, films, books and other forms of popular culture. She has been especially prevalent in imagery found in the beauty industry. Because Japan has its own rich storehouse of pretty heroines and exemplary women, one wonders why Cinderella proved to be so appealing to a Japanese consumer. Why do girls, and in some cases boys, want to present themselves as modern-day versions of the European cinder maid? The answer can partly be found in how the meaning of Cinderella has morphed into a strong message of self-transformation and individual achievement in the Japanese setting. Cinderella is especially attractive to young women, gay men and the working class. For everyone, both inside and outside mainstream folk models of success, Cinderella offers a powerful allure in that she represents the possibility of triumph over adversity. This potential for victory is egalitarian, available to anyone willing to believe in their dreams. There is a long history of feminist critique of fairytales such as Cinderella. Karen Rowe (1979) notes how the story has a negative impact on female socialisation and acculturation by promoting the belief that it is only passivity and beauty that are rewarded. Cinderella buttresses patriarchal social models of women as dependent on male objectification, approval and rescue (see, for example, Simone de Beauvoir,