The beauty of Asian women lies in silky smooth black hair with a healthy shine.
- At the moment, you are active mainly in Japan and California.
How do the Japanese perceive beauty differently from caucasians, based on what you have
experienced in your time away from Japan? - Ms. Takatsu: There are big differences in the ways that Japanese and caucasians think about beauty. I think Japanese women are very beautiful! However, for reasons that are perhaps cultural or environmental, compared to caucasians, Japanese women are not so good at projecting their own beauty. They always seem to be worrying about how they measure up in comparison to someone else. For a woman, being conscious of how people look at you and feeling pretty is important but you can easily lose yourself if you draw too many comparisons.
- Can you say the same for hairstyles?
- Ms. Takatsu: Well, yes. As a matter of fact, Caucasians have long admired the smooth and glossy black hair of Asian people. But it seems that there are many Japanese who have never recognized this.
- Are you doing anything special to look after your hair at the moment?
- Ms. Takatsu: For my hair and scalp, I make sure that I take protein in one form or another every day. I have yoghurt every day. I eat it plain or I make dips. Speaking of dips, I have an original recipe that is a little unusual! Add garlic and anchovy to the yoghurt and you have a perfect dip for vegetables. The vegetables will go down a treat and it's very healthy.
- Also, yoghurt that has been left sitting in cheesecloth or paper towels to drain overnight has a flavor that is similar to cheese dessert and it's very delicious. Try spreading a thick layer on bread. It is far healthier than butter and very nutritious.
- When work gets busy, there are times when I can't manage regular meals so I carry dried fruit and almonds with me. In particular, the almonds that I usually buy in California have a very nice flavor because they have not been roasted, just dried, so they get top marks for nutrition. Organic dried fruits have plenty of dietary fiber, which is good for bowel movement.
I like to find ways to incorporate things that are good for the body into my life.
Do not compare beauty. It's more important to look after yourself.
- What is the beauty that you have discovered through yoga?
- Ms. Takatsu:Yoga is not a matter of perfecting the poses, it is about how much you listen to the voice of your own body and how you view your true self. As for me, by getting to know my true self, I think I have rediscovered my focus.
By practising facial yoga and yoga for beautiful hair consistently, you become more aware of yourself and your surroundings. When you achieve this awareness, you get to a point where you want to be naturally and inwardly beautiful.
Women who know their own attractiveness are not swayed by the fads around them but are flexible enough to adapt themselves to different environments. I believe that's the true beauty of a woman. - Thank you
Ms. Takatsu is attractive with a smile that lights up the room and a beautiful, supple figure. Between interviews, she took us through a mini yoga lesson for beautiful hair. Her energy inspired us during the lesson. As she says, "If you do it, you will change and if you change, you will be beautiful."
Why don't you try these yoga exercises that Ms. Takatsu taught us for yourself? We hope you will always be true to yourself and become a woman whose beauty shines from within.
