Clinic ad urging teens to get double eyelids sparks row in Japan

In early 2023, a major Japanese cosmetic surgery clinic ran advertisements on trains that encouraged teenagers to have double-eyelid surgery. The procedure creates a visible crease in the upper eyelid and is among the most common cosmetic operations in Japan.

The ads appeared in a space seen daily by schoolchildren and commuters, and many people objected to the message. Critics said the campaign presented a particular eye shape as the standard of attractiveness and pressed young people, at an impressionable age, to change their bodies. Some questioned whether such marketing aimed at minors was appropriate, given that patients under 18 need parental consent.

The row added to a wider debate in Japan about appearance pressure, social media and the growing number of young people seeking cosmetic procedures. It also raised questions about how clinics advertise to teenagers, a concern consumer authorities have also raised in guidance for young people. The controversy remains a reference point in discussions of beauty norms among Japanese youth.