
This is a funny (albeit a bit worrying) commercial from a Japanese social networking site mixi (invitation only). It's for some company that helps people lose weight. The translation goes:
"I want to eat, but I want to lose weight"
"I hate self control!"
Obviously she is a perfectly thin and quite a cute model...
I couldn't find it again but I also saw another commercial on the lines of:
"My boyfriend said: Ah if you just were thinner you'd be cute" - this also featured a picture of a cute (thin) Japanese model..
This is how marketers portray women in Japan? And it works too?
Wow...

This was on the blog of a Finnish researcher in Tokyo, but I'll post it here too ;)
Apparently it showed up on her postbox one morning. It's saying:
"Private Detective - Advice
Is your LOVE real?
We help you bring back happy life by revealing the truth"
AND IT'S A CUTE BEAR DETECTIVE. ON THE BACKGROUND A DADDY BEAR IS TAKING A GIRL BEAR TO A LOVE HOTEL!
Oh boy...

So let's end with a more comforting picture:
The elderly in Japan are very healthy (and live the longest in the world)
In fact they are so healthy that they take up SKATEBOARDING even if prescribed walking sticks!!