With the notable exception of Gravure models and porn stars, most Japanese women’s busts are on the small side.
Of course, that doesn’t mean they can’t be cute.
Whole fashion lines have emerged to enhance the looks of flat-chested women, as well as some bras to make your breasts appear smaller.
Evidence even suggests that Japanese men prefer women with flat chests to the stereotypes of female beauty.
There is also a hinnyu (“poor breasts”) Gravure idol called Mana. Granted, she’s hardly in the top of her league but the fact that there are idols who trade on their hinnyu style is proof of something.
And now Mana, aka Manatei, wants to launch her own photo book and join the ranks of the mainstream. Her book is called “Manaita”, a pun on a Japanese slang word for “flat-chested”.
The book promises to be a “project supporting women with small breasts”.
The problem is she doesn’t have the backing of powerful publishers like her colleagues.
And so she has turned to crowd-funding to secure enough money to make the project happen.
In her “Manaita” book campaign she is offering a range of perks, including a copy of the book, merchandise, or even a date in Tokyo for a day with her (you have to contribute ¥100,000, or $800, to claim that one).
So fancy paying $800 for a date in Tokyo with a lady with a totally flat chest? Well, many gaijin enjoy that every weekend for free!
Her target is ¥1.5 million (around $12,000) by July 16th. At the time of writing she’s got 28 backers and is 23% of the way there. Good luck, Mana!
Such Gravure crowd-funding campaigns are far from unique. They can be a good way to test the waters before investing in the high costs of a photo book, especially if you are minor idol. Former AKB48 idol Anna Mori recently ran a successful crowd-funding campaign recently to get her first photo book off the ground.
What we find interesting about Manaita’s campaign is that it potentially shows real grassroots support for her flat-chested looks. We’ll be keeping an eye on the campaign to see how it progresses.
