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In a country where most of the women are 110 pounds or less, 29-year-old Naomi Wantanabe sticks out like a sore thumb. The 220-pound comedian and Instagram celebrity doesn’t fit into many of Japan’s clothing lines – that often only offer up to a size Medium.
But rather than let these cultural stereotypes stifle her, Wantanabe is making it her goal to overthrow them.
Although Wantanabe grew up in an environment where many people told her to lose weight and become thinner, to fit into cultural, Japanese ideals, she knew that this was an unhealthy mindset. Only 3% of Japanese women are overweight, but even more women are unhealthily and dangerously skinny.
22% of Japanese women are underweight and/or malnourished.
Wantanabe wants to fight against these unhealthy ideals by being a greater, louder advocate for plus-size bodies. She’s not trying to change others’ opinions of her, but rather, be a stronger representation for the plus-size community in Japan.
"Japan is not like the U.S. You don't see many plus-sized women around here," she explained. "But rather than trying to change other people's minds, I would like to help change the minds of bigger women, to help them feel good about themselves."
For the past four years, Wantanabe has made this her personal goal. She’s been a regular cover girl on plus-size magazines that hope to be more inclusive of “pochari,” or “marshmallow girls.”
Wantanabe doesn’t shy away from talking about her size and was even named one of Vogue Japan’s Women of the Year in 2016 for her strong platform.
In 2014, Wantanabe even launched her own clothing line called Punyus, a name that plays on the Japanese word for “squishy” or “bouncy.” It’s currently her biggest claim to fame and offers fashionable, cute clothes to larger Japanese girls across the country.
While the general demographic of Japanese women has remained largely the same since Wanantabe broke onto the scene, she reports that she believes she is making a difference.
On her photos and even when they see her on the street, women will come up to her to thank her for giving them a voice and making plus-size feel actually “cool.”
Wanatanabe says these are the women who inspire her to continue overthrowing traditional Japanese female stereotypes of being thin and without curves, meant to be seen but not heard.
"Japanese women are changing, and there are loads more women who can express themselves and many fewer women who just say yes to everything like before," Wantanabe said very happily. "I see more women becoming super-strong and confident, and it helps me grow, too."
