草食系

• Reading: そうしょくけい
• Romaji: sōshoku kei
• Kanji breakdown: 草 (grass) + 食 (eat) + 系 (type/category) → grass-eating type, metaphor for passive/gentle in dating
• Pronunciation: /soː.ɕo.ku ke.i/

Meaning

Herbivore type — a person (usually male) who is passive, gentle, and unassertive in romantic pursuits.

草食系 became a cultural buzzword in the late 2000s to describe young Japanese men who showed little initiative in romance and dating. They tend to be gentle, non-aggressive, and content with being single or letting relationships develop slowly. The term sparked widespread media discussion about changing gender dynamics in Japan and is often contrasted with 肉食系 (carnivore type).

Examples

1. うちの彼氏、草食系だから自分からデートに誘わないんだよね。 My boyfriend is the herbivore type, so he never asks me out on dates himself.
2. 草食系男子が増えたって言われてるけど、本当かな。 They say there are more herbivore guys these days, but I wonder if that's really true.
3. 草食系だと思ってたら、意外と積極的でびっくりした。 I thought he was the passive type, but he was surprisingly forward and it caught me off guard.

Usage Guide

Context: friends, media, dating discussion

Tone: descriptive, sometimes teasing

Do Say

• 草食系の人の方が安心して付き合える。 (I feel more at ease dating a herbivore type.)
• 彼は草食系だから、こっちからアプローチしないと。 (He's the passive type, so I need to make the first move.)

Don't Say

• 面と向かって「草食系だよね」と言うと傷つく人もいる (Calling someone a herbivore type to their face can be hurtful as it implies they lack initiative)

Common Mistakes

• Assuming 草食系 means asexual — it describes passivity in dating, not lack of sexual interest

Origin & History

Coined by columnist Maki Fukasawa in 2006 and popularized through media in 2008-2009. Herbivore (草食) metaphorically describes passive, gentle people who don't 'hunt' for romantic partners.

Cultural Context

Era: Coined 2006, peaked 2008-2010, still widely known

Generation: All ages aware, primarily describes younger men

Social background: Cultural commentary term

Regional notes: Used across all of Japan. Part of a broader cultural discussion about modern masculinity in Japan.