Summary
Although skin tone differs based on a person's race, those with fair skin have difficulty maintaining skin tone due to melanin production. Bihaku products aim to prevent or reverse skin imperfection and provide a clean and fair complexion.
In Japan the preference for skin that is white and free of blemishes has been around for centuries. There is an old proverb (色の白いは七難隠す iro no shiroi wa shichinan kakusu) which translates to "white skin covers the seven flaws," meaning a fair-skinned women is beautiful even if her features are not attractive.
Bihaku products are highly popular among mature women. They are also popular with teenage girls and those in their twenties who desire to look like pop singers, such as Ayumi Hamasaki, and are promoted in numerous youth fashion magazines such as "Popteen" and "S Cawaii!". Bihaku products are also prevalent and a key item in numerous youth subcultures such as gyaru and ageha girls. An opposition to the idea of fair skin beauty grew with the gyaru subculture called "ganguro" in the 1990s although died out in the early 2000s.
Traditionally uguisu no fun was used to lighten and balance skin tone although today it is considered a luxury item. The most popular products often contain sake and rice bran which contain kojic acid.
Read more about this topic: Whiteness In Japanese Culture
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