Japanese men want the man's manicure

Filing nails may run counter to traditional ideas of Japanese masculinity, but the industry assures us that this is standard behavior for wealthy businessmen overseas.

There's been a lot of hubbub this year over the 'feminization' of Japanese men. Young twenty-something guys are belittled as "soshoku danshi" -- herbivore men -- just because they reject womanizing, boozing, smoking, gambling and other hard-edged past times of old.

Some of this passive behavior can be blamed on their relatively low wages. But then something comes along that proves the original theory further: In this instance, men's nail salons.

Excite tells us that men are becoming a significant customer base in the nail salon world. See, hands are used in business transaction -- exchanging business cards, for example -- so men want to make the best impression possible starting at the fingertips. The manicure is now an important tool for maintaining proper etiquette.

Men, however, also seem to enjoy the time spent in manicure, paying for hand massages and other 'relaxation' services. You may think this is a clever way for men to get touchy-feely with a dainty young nail artist, but no: Most men apparently want to be serviced by male 'nailists.' The manicure is sadly not a trojan horse for asking girls out.

Osaka manicure enthusiasts have enjoyed the first mens-only nail salon Men's Nail Unique in the Hankyu Men's department store for the last two years. Tokyo guys unfortunately will have to keep hitting the standard salons and enduring the harsh stares from female customers.