
January 23, 2025
Monolids Are Beautiful: A Conversation on Choice, Identity, and Change
Questioning beauty standards in Japan
By Sharnie Fenn
Beauty standards in Japan have traditionally been narrowly defined, with a strong emphasis and rigidity on specific features often elevated as cultural ideals. Lighter skin tones, double eyelids, large eyes, small faces and slender figures are commonly upheld as the standard of beauty. These features dominate the media, appearing on billboards, magazine covers and in the protagonists of movies and television dramas. These are the features that society praises when present and pities—or even stigmatizes—when absent.
“Have you ever thought of double eyelid surgery? It’ll help make your eyes look bigger.”
“You’re mixed, but … it’s a shame you have small eyes.”
“You should try eyelid tape.”
These are just some of the comments I’ve received about my eyes during my years living in Japan. Often, people react with shock upon learning that I’m of mixed heritage with an Asian-passing appearance. They follow up with backhanded and unsolicited suggestions to change my appearance to look more ‘hafu’ or ‘European.’ While I’ve grown comfortable in my skin, and these remarks don’t affect my sense of identity, I can only imagine the toll they could have taken during a more self-conscious time in my life.
“Are monolids beautiful?” The pressure to conform
The pressure to conform to narrow beauty ideals in Japan is pervasive and supported by statistics. These ideals don’t just affect mixed-race individuals but push young people across the country to alter their appearances. The number of people under the age of 20 who have undergone this procedure has increased 6.7 times since 2020. This rise indicates the intense societal pressure to conform to prevailing beauty standards. In response, NHK has published articles advising parents on how to address their children’s desire for cosmetic surgery.
Public spaces across Japan reflect the normalization of cosmetic enhancement. Advertisements targeting high school students encourage and promote these procedures. On social media, those with features that fall outside the narrow scope of “ideal beauty” often face an onslaught of criticism. There is a feeling of negativity in their comment section. These constant reminders to look beautiful point to a deeper issue. Beauty standards have become synonymous with social acceptance and success. For many, conforming feels like the only option.

Julia: A Voice for Beauty Diversity
Amid this landscape, Julia, a Japanese-Russian content creator, offers a refreshing perspective. Born and raised in Russia, Julia moved to Japan at 19. She learned the language and built her life from scratch. She uses her platform to explore the intersections of beauty, culture and personal growth.
Having faced both admiration and criticism for her mixed heritage, Julia speaks openly about the pressures of living under Japan’s rigid beauty standards. “There’s an admiration for foreign features here and a very rigid idea of what beauty is,” she explains. “For example, people imagine a ‘Russian girl’ as someone with blonde hair, big eyes and a small face. It creates this unattainable image that people feel pressured to live up to.”
Comments about her eyes, for instance, have been a recurring theme. “People would say, ‘It’s rare for a mixed person to have monolids.’ And the tone always implied something negative, like it was something wrong,” she shares. “There’s a very limiting idea of what being ‘mixed,’ ‘foreign’ or ‘pretty’ should look like.”
Monolids are beautiful: Challenging beauty standards
Through her content, Julia challenges these rigid standards and encourages her audience to see themselves beyond the lens of societal expectations. “There’s a strong focus on fitting in, looking at others and following suit,” she explains. “But it’s important to step back and see yourself—your own life, your own beauty—rather than measuring yourself against others.”
Julia reflects on the concept of jibunmigaki, meaning self-improvement. While traditionally associated with enhancing physical appearance, she interprets it as something much deeper. “True beauty isn’t about appearance,” she says. “It’s about someone’s soul and their actions.” For Julia, jibunmigaki is about asking yourself meaningful questions, like, “Who are you without the eyes of others? What do you love doing? What makes you happy?” She adds, “I think many people might struggle to answer these questions clearly. Spending a lifetime discovering those answers––that’s what self-improvement truly means.”
Julia also recognizes the double-edged nature of social media in shaping beauty ideals. While it can perpetuate unrealistic standards, it also has the power to amplify diverse voices and redefine beauty on a broader scale. “Social media has exposed people to so much more diversity,” she says. “I want people to believe that their own uniqueness is valuable, too.”
The conversation around beauty standards in Japan is complex, and it’s essential to understand that decisions about cosmetic enhancements are deeply personal. Everyone has the right to make choices about their own body. Advertisements, however, often create the illusion that altering one’s appearance is the only way to feel confident or accepted. For those who face daily negative comments and feel marginalized or unaccepted, this pressure can strip away their sense of agency. It’s if these external expectations are infringing on their ability to make empowered decisions.
Societal responsibilities
Society should be held accountable for perpetuating unrealistic beauty standards and the treatment of those who don’t conform. Decisions about appearance should come from a place of personal empowerment, not societal pressure. Young people especially should be able to live their lives freely, without the burden of unrealistic beauty standards that define or make them question their worth.
Content creators such as Julia play a crucial role in advocating for beauty diversity. They are challenging traditional standards that marginalize so many. Her message is simple yet powerful. True beauty isn’t something you need to chase or change yourself to achieve—it’s already there. Monolids are beautiful. It’s in the qualities that make you different, in your actions and in how you treat yourself and others.
You might also be interested in Barbie: The comedian helping body positivity bloom in Japan.