The main purpose of this study was to investigate the differences and similarities between the modern-day Japanese and Finnish feminine beauty ideals, and to find out what kind of factors affect their values and perceptions of beauty. Two online surveys were conducted in both Japanese and Finnish and shared on several social media platforms, and ultimately 57 Japanese and 60 Finnish women between the ages 18 and 36 took part in them. The responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics for multiple-choice and close-ended questions, and thematic analysis for open-ended questions.
The findings suggest that a majority of both Japanese and Finnish participants do feel that beauty ideals affect their lives in a way or another, whether the influence on their values comes from different forms of media, their surroundings, or the society. As for the traits of physical appearance the participants consider ideal, both Japanese and Finnish women mainly seem to idealize thinness, but one of the biggest differences is that Finnish women, appreciate the uniqueness of a person more than Japanese women. Some of the Japanese participants did acknowledge the fact that beauty ideals are deeply rooted in the Japanese society, which might make it harder for them to not follow the social norms.