Japanese Oh Legs
Over on fashion.3yen.com, Chidade wrote about Tokyo Street Style, a website run by the JFA - Japanese Fashion Association—Lots of fun fashion victims and quite a large showing of what is called in Japanese “O-leg” (Ｏ脚)—pigeon-toed.
And there are “O-Leg Fixers” on the market such as the O-Leg Supporter 3,800 yen. Fun!
Why Japanese women walk this way is a great mystery. In the past, the low protein and low calcium diet was to blame for “tansoku”
stubby legs as well as bad genes. Constant kneeing what feet folded and tucked under their butts must not help. Current theory is that Japanese think it’s cute to walk deformed.
Supposedly, NHK TV had a “science” show in this topic came up with the wild explanation that Western women have big butts so they walk with feet pointing out to draw said backside in. Japanese girls have no butts and walk with toes pointing in to push their backsides out. Yeah, ri-i-i-ight.
UPDATE: Here’s an interesting, scientific newspaper article all about this…
SO, WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?
O-kyaku (walking pigeon-toed)
JapanTimes.co.jp - Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2006
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February 6th, 2006 at 10:41 pm
Bwaahahahahaha it IS cute the way they walk like that!
Personally I think it’s the kneeling and those damn geta sandals that make them walk like that.
February 7th, 2006 at 5:22 am
It could possibly be that when they started walking they imitated their parents, and that “O-Leg” type of walk has just managed to survive a few generations?
February 7th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
I think they are right about tucking your legs under your body when sitting. When I was about 3 I was pigeon toed and had to have a small operation near each big toe to help fix it. Then do exercises with my feet. My mum was told by doctors not to let me sit on the floor with my knees pointing back. So them basically sitting on their feet in this way could help with the problem :0
February 7th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
Actually, this topic was started by my Japanese friend in grad school in the States who is has taken up marathon running only to discover that O-Legs and running don’t mix. She’s now going to a sports medicine clinic to be treated. Here in Japan, I’ve asked orthopedic surgeons for what they thought was the cause of O-Legs. Most hemmed and hawed since it’s a medical embarrassment. One surgeon admitted that when he set badly broken legs, he pointed the feet inward on women. I cannot believe that NHK’s “scientific” explanation.
February 17th, 2006 at 1:47 am
HELLO FRIENDS, WANTED TO KNOW AS I CAN OBTAIN THE CORRECTOR OF LEGS ARCHED PLEASE TO SEND ME ALL THE DATA TO BE ABLE TO ACQUIRE THIS PRODUCT, TO SEND ME HIS PRICE IN DOLARES.
To MY MAIL..
February 20th, 2006 at 5:14 pm
MIGUEL on 2/17/2006 @ 1:47 am wrote:
CAN I OBTAIN THE CORRECTOR OF LEGS ARCHED?
Sorry to say, nearly all Japanese websales require a Japanese credit card or Japan-only postal COD. Basically, no Japanese website will ship overseas because credit-card fraud is so common.
You can try to ask for a special order from the only Japanese company who does ship to overseas, J-List.com.
http://affiliates.jlist.com/click/393/71
Sadly you will most likely be refused.
March 13th, 2006 at 5:00 am
HELLO FRIENDS DESIRE TO BUY THIS PRODUCT PLEASE TO SEND ME ITS PRICE IN DOLARES TO MY MAIL, SINCE MY DESIRE BUT LARGE IS TO COME TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEMADE THE LEGS OR, IF IT PODRIAN ENVIAREL PRODUCT TO THE ENBAJADA OF PERU IN FILE, ALLI I TILL THE CORRESPONDING PAYMENTS FOR ITS PURCHASE. THANKS
May 7th, 2006 at 3:56 am
HI! I love this place!
August 15th, 2006 at 3:04 pm
I think Oh-legs are sexy.
August 15th, 2006 at 4:22 pm
Well zo-san, I think Oh-legs are hell of a lot sexier than Western hippo limbs. I have to say “hippo” because your name “Zo” could mean elephant (象 or ぞう) in Japanese, hee, hee.
August 18th, 2006 at 1:51 pm
Well…I do find them attractive!
August 18th, 2006 at 1:56 pm
It’s odd but in America, one the ways beauty is judged is by how much light you can see between the thighs of a women—the more light, the less obese. But in Japan, the more light you can see between the thighs, the worse the women’s figure is. Go figure.
August 30th, 2006 at 12:12 pm
Are they talking about being pigeon-toed or having bow-legs (genu-varus)? Bow-leggedness is often caused by rickets:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genu_varus
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickets
The picture of the o-leg straightener seems like it would be for bowl-legs, not pigeon toes. It’s also useless b/c the only way to fix bow-leggedness as an adult is through surgeries such as Ilizarov method.
Walking w/ duck feet is usually a sign of something else such as flat-feet or ilio-tibial (IT) band syndrome, both of which I have. If a person strengthens his/her body a certain way in addition to this, it’s likely that his/her butt and possibly other parts will get bigger as mine did b/c the glute and thigh muscles are making up for what your feet SHOULD be doing. It was only b/c I am a dancer and a martial artist that my butt and thighs are muscular; when I first met my physical therapist, he suspected that my legs would be very weak and joints damaged b/c of the way I walk so no, walking duck-footed doesn’t necessarily make your butt bigger.
Personally as a dancer, I find any kind of foot/leg deformity highly unattractive b/c I know how hard it must be to balance.
August 30th, 2006 at 12:43 pm
–>Are they talking about being pigeon-toed or having bow-legs (genu-varus)?<—
Both are a problem in Japan. Low calcium in the Japanese diet in the past and severe teenage dieting in the present causes bow-legs. Being pigeon-toed is learned posture of Jspanese girls trying to be “cute.” Often thin, super-dieting girls have both problems—compounded by the fact Japanese have short legs.
September 2nd, 2006 at 12:18 pm
necesito informacion en español por favor
September 2nd, 2006 at 1:07 pm
cristina asks: “necesito informacion en español por favor”
私は残念である。No habla espanol…(Here’s a machine translation from English to Spanish.)
Aquí está una traducción automática de inglés-español.
January 31st, 2007 at 4:49 am
the reason that they walk like that it’s because it’s cute, and it makes a big gap between your legs, making your leg look really skinny, which is what all Japanese aim for the fashion right now — stick thin
January 31st, 2007 at 11:32 am
Ha, ha, I guess that’s true. In the US the best way to judge a girl’s figure at the beach is if you can see any light between a girl’s legs. That’s rare even at the ankles, hee, hee. :-o
February 26th, 2007 at 4:24 am
Hahaha, oh!
Well, I have ‘o-legs’ XD and my friends (especially from HK and Japan) say they’re ‘cute’. I think it’s cute, but those pics look painful O.o
February 26th, 2007 at 2:53 pm
Ha, ha, I can imagine what your friends from HK and Japan are saying is that pointing your toes inward –especially when posing for a photo– is cute. Generally, in Japan women will fret if their legs themselves are bowed/curved. I guess I will have to go out and taken some video of those “look painful O.o” girls in action.
June 7th, 2007 at 1:23 am
hi how can i get more information on this product were can i buy it please email me back
July 7th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Can someone tell me how to get this product to canada…please i really need this…thanks!
July 11th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
日本人のＯ脚は、生活文化によるものです。
正座や横座りなどの膝に圧迫を掛ける座り方が原因しています。
これが最大の原因です。
July 12th, 2007 at 10:54 pm
Translation of the Japanese by Takashi-san above:
July 28th, 2007 at 3:46 am
I think that X-Legs of european fat peoples are also ugly.
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:10 am
This all seems silly. Bone structure/body shape is genetic. People are born this way. Now, the pigeon toed walking, that *can* be an affectation, something done by some young women. (I know a Japanese woman who calls it walking like a teenager). I hope that Takashi-san isn’t suggesting that people can’t be born with bowed legs and pigeon toes.
September 7th, 2007 at 7:16 am
How can I obtain this product. I hate my legs because they’re skinny and bow legged. I’d love to fix this problem with the product shown above. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
February 12th, 2008 at 12:05 am
I have bow legs, I’ve made a lot of research on the clinics where one could get it fixed and looks like there a few clinics that might help. so if there’s anyone who is not quite confident and brave about doing this, pls join me. w can do it together…
March 9th, 2008 at 9:05 pm
How much is that and please send me information to my msn
March 12th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Hi! only sells and ships their product within the country of Japan.
The company that makes the “O-Leg” correction device
However, you could use a proxy ordering service such Rinkya.com http://www.rinkya.com/storesrus.php to order and ship the “O-Leg” correction device to your country. The following email explains the process.
Sincerely yours,
Taro 3Yen
April 12th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
I do not find or leg fixer here here: http: // http://www.rinkya.com/storesrus.php http: // http://www.rinkya.com/signup.php.yo need help to find it.where is? thants
April 24th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
It’s simple anatomy, these gals are trained at early age to sit “one style” and to always point their toes together… the more they think they’re being cute, the more their legs bow out. Wanna fix it, just relax, and stop worry-ing about “Image”
May 19th, 2008 at 7:37 am
I think short legs are one of the most unattractive physical traits out there; it’s not only me but as a whole throughout most cultures short legged-ness (or short-limbness that comes with it) is perceived as unattractive (and if you google ’short legs’ or sometime along those lines, you might find an article on a scientific study of why short-limbness/legs are perceived as unattractive from a biological perspective.
July 10th, 2008 at 3:13 am
how do I get this “O-leg supporter” if I am in the USA?
July 10th, 2008 at 9:34 am
It is very difficult to order Japanese products from the US. Japanese companies only accept Japanese credit cards for payment (and of course there are the language problems).
You need to use a “proxy service” as as….
July 15th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
Here’s an interesting, informative article all about this….