Why 'Black Teeth' was Considered Beautiful in Japan #Shorts

There is no concrete information about when the culture of dyeing teeth black called “お歯黒 Ohaguro” started in Japan, but we generally say it must have been from around 1,000 years ago.

There are mainly 3 reasons why they did this:

1. To prevent cavities
2. For beauty/fashion
3. As a symbol of maturity/marriage

First of all, the ingredients used for dyeing teeth black have the effect of strengthening your teeth and preventing bad breath, cavities, and gum diseases.

Second, the aesthetic sense was very different from today and it was believed that the “lack of expressions” was the standard for a beautiful woman. By dyeing their teeth black, they were able to hide their expressions easier.

Lastly, because dyeing their teeth black was like putting on makeup today, it also became a symbol of a woman becoming an adult or being married.

However when Japan Westernized in the late 19th century, due to the government's modernization policy, the culture of dyeing teeth black was completely banned. Today, no one dyes their teeth black anymore.

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▼Related videos in this channel▼
-Introducing Simple and Easy-to-Wear KIMONO for Both Men and Women! Jinbe, Samue, Two-Piece Kimono
-Committing "SEPPUKU" & Beating Up her Father? Learn About the Strongest WOMEN Samurai in History!
-Stroll Through the Heart of Kyoto Wearing Your Favorite KIMONO and Get Dressed by Professionals!

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“To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true, by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in”

I will be using the profit I gain from this channel at restaurants, hotels, and cultural facilities in Kyoto to introduce them. The more you watch the videos on this channel, Kyoto and Japan will become a more exciting place, and you can support your own and others’ dreams in the future even more.

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Every single yen we earn from this membership, we will be donating to groups of people who are fighting to solve social problems in Japan, the Japanese schools where foreign students can study, or use it to spread the works of people working with traditional culture in Japan to preserve the arts they are doing.

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The perfect channel to learn about Japanese culture and history in your spare time, during your walk to school or work, and when you are cooking or doing house chores.

Not only will I be covering the topics in this main channel, but also some topics that you will only be able to enjoy in the sub-channel, like answering questions I receive, and my opinions towards some of the comments.

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Hello everyone, and thank you for watching my videos!

I’m Shogo, a Kyoto born & Hiroshima raised Japanese, that grew up in Michigan USA for 6 years, and studied Mandarin in Beijing university for a year! I live in Kyoto now, as I train in Iaido(katana), Sado(tea ceremony), and Noh theatre(traditional stage art).

In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips on traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan. So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content!

If you enjoyed this video, please hit the LIKE button, and share with your friends and family! My goal is “to achieve 1,000,000 subscribers by January 2023”, so your help would mean a lot!

♪Music♪
おとわび
トーマス大森音楽工房
ぽるぽるMusic

♪Sound effects♪
効果音ラボ

♪Pictures♪
かわいいフリー素材屋 いらすとや

#ohaguro #blackteeth #japanesetraditionalculture

[AGS]

Not only women! Male aristocrats and even high ranking samurai (like Imagawa Yoshimoto ) used the same kind of dental care .

[LetsaskShogo]

There is no concrete information about when the culture of dyeing teeth black called “お歯黒 Ohaguro” started in Japan, but we generally say it must have been from around 1, 000 years ago.

There are mainly 3 reasons why they did this:

1. To prevent cavities
2. For beauty/fashion
3. As a symbol of maturity/marriage

First of all, the ingredients used for dyeing teeth black have the effect of strengthening your teeth and preventing bad breath, cavities, and gum diseases.

Second, the aesthetic sense was very different from today and it was believed that the “lack of expressions” was the standard for a beautiful woman. By dyeing their teeth black, they were able to hide their expressions easier.

Lastly, because dyeing their teeth black was like putting on makeup today, it also became a symbol of a woman becoming an adult or being married.

However when Japan Westernized in the late 19th century, due to the government's modernization policy, the culture of dyeing teeth black was completely banned. Today, no one dyes their teeth black anymore.

[takumi]

Imagine they didn't ban this practice it would be interesting to see peoples different sense of beauty.

[emilystory]

The pride and knowledge of your culture is beyond refreshing, and your delivery is impeccable!

[walkerx]

Now I'm curious what the ingredients were...

[an-artists-hand]

Btw, does junihitoe actually have 12 layers of kimono? This question has been bugging me for long.

[lordpantero]

Could you tell me more about the tradition of expressing no emotion?

[moha]

It makes me sad how governments try to let go of root culture to try and “modernize”. it’s the same in my country as well :(

[lardfarquaad]

I always thought they did that so they can hide the teeth's imperfections. Like how artists cover their mistakes by putting something on top of it.

[catinacafe]

Not sure why I find this so cool but I do and I'm glad I learned it from shogo

[joshmajor]

I’m just a guy in Kentucky but I do wonder how many ancestral traits were lost due to modernization and conformity 😢 thank you for these!! I’m subbed as of now!! 👍🏼

[kenken]

What are your thoughts on paper samurai armor? I watched a documentary lately about samurais (Samurai Headhunters by the Smithsonian) and they mentioned that foot soldiers are given armor made out of paper and cotton cloth stuck and hardened with glue then lacquered over to make it waterproof. Supposedly it's decent armor that can withstand blade slashes and even stabs but will not withstand spear thrust.

[Hanami]

My first time even hearing of this culture was from an anime called Fuse. The second time was from some guy on YouTube named Linfamy. The third time was from Shogo. It's not something you really hear about often (at least a westerner like myself doesn't) so most of us are unaware of it. Thanks for the bite size history lesson Shogo! 😄

[poppyseedmuffin]

I really enjoy your videos so much. I learn a lot every time they pop up on my feed.

[andrea_caligari]

Dear Shogo, I absolutely love you channel and your videos, keep it up!
If I can, I'd like to ask you a very specific question about Japanese customs:
What is the difference between the three types of wedding kimonos, Shiromuku, Irouchikake and Hikifurisode? What is the symbolism behind each of them, and what wearing one instead of another would represent? When did the tradition of wearing them start, and why? Would wearing an Irouchikake or Hikifurisode during the ceremony be seen as out of place?

[LetsaskShogo]

▼Who is Shogo? What is this channel about?▼

▼Related videos in this channel▼
-Introducing Simple and Easy-to-Wear KIMONO for Both Men and Women! Jinbe, Samue, Two-Piece Kimono
-Committing "SEPPUKU" & Beating Up her Father? Learn About the Strongest WOMEN Samurai in History!
-Stroll Through the Heart of Kyoto Wearing Your Favorite KIMONO and Get Dressed by Professionals!

▼MY DREAM▼

“To make every Japan lovers’ dream come true, by making Japan a more secure, comfortable, and safer place for everyone to visit, study, and live in”

I will be using the profit I gain from this channel at restaurants, hotels, and cultural facilities in Kyoto to introduce them. The more you watch the videos on this channel, Kyoto and Japan will become a more exciting place, and you can support your own and others’ dreams in the future even more.

▼Join our Membership▼

●Membership benefits
-Limited behind-the-scene videos
-Weekly live stream
-Priority reply to comments

Every single yen we earn from this membership, we will be donating to groups of people who are fighting to solve social problems in Japan, the Japanese schools where foreign students can study, or use it to spread the works of people working with traditional culture in Japan to preserve the arts they are doing.

▼[Sub-channel] “Shogo’s Podcast”▼
Please subscribe!!

The perfect channel to learn about Japanese culture and history in your spare time, during your walk to school or work, and when you are cooking or doing house chores.

Not only will I be covering the topics in this main channel, but also some topics that you will only be able to enjoy in the sub-channel, like answering questions I receive, and my opinions towards some of the comments.

▼[Listen to the real voices of the Japanese] "Voices from Japan series"▼

▼[For YOU traveling to Kyoto] "Kyoto Hidden Gems" series▼

▼Instagram▼
*Please ask me questions through the DM here!（⚠️I do not use e-mail）

▼Shogo’s profile▼
Hello everyone, and thank you for watching my videos!

I’m Shogo, a Kyoto born & Hiroshima raised Japanese, that grew up in Michigan USA for 6 years, and studied Mandarin in Beijing university for a year! I live in Kyoto now, as I train in Iaido(katana), Sado(tea ceremony), and Noh theatre(traditional stage art).

In this channel, you can take a closer look at Japanese traditional culture, tips on traveling to Kyoto, and social problems in Japan. So learners and lovers of Japanese language and culture, be sure to subscribe to enjoy more content!

If you enjoyed this video, please hit the LIKE button, and share with your friends and family! My goal is “to achieve 1, 000, 000 subscribers by January 2023”, so your help would mean a lot!

[orangesquid]

i enjoy watching your shorts, thank you for making them :)

[ADekuKid]

It’s interesting that a culture that was so intensely invested in limiting emotional expression is now famous the world over for creating some of the most hyperbolically expressive art ever with things like Anime, Manga, and even J-pop and Japanese game shows.

[chrisfusion]

I'm writting a few short stories that take place in 13th century Japan, and you've given me some cool information I haven't found elsewhere. Thanks

[hanaashaba]

I've never heard about this before, thanks for sharing