[jayfuerstenberg]

Herbivore men in Japanese is not "soshoku danshi", it's "soshoku KEI danshi". Just sayin'.

[aikinai]

I just looked it up and you're technically right; that's apparently the official dictionary term, but I've never heard anyone actually say that. Everyone calls them "soshoku danshi."

[jayfuerstenberg]

Well the kanji uses "kei" too.

[jpatokal]

"Soshoku danshi" is literally "grass-eating (herbivore) man". "Soshoku-kei danshi" is "grass-eating-group man". The latter is slightly more correct, but both are in common use.

[kazinator]

> it's "soshoku KEI danshi". Just sayin'.

You are correct. The calligraphist got the inclusion of the "kei" right, just not the article text. I don't think that "soushoku danshi" is wrong, though. Also, sometimes just "soushoku doubutsu" is used (literally, "herbivore").

[mlmonkey]

Does this apply to vegetarian Japanese men? Does this mean vegetarianism is considered a negative (at least among men)?

[kazinator]

I don't think it's literal; it just uses meat eating as a metaphor for aggressivity and drive. Just like in English we have "carnal act" for sex, referring to the flesh. Or whatever.

It's not even a word denoting vegetarians, but rather herbivores. A vegetarian is called 菜食主義者 (saishoku shugisha), not "soushoku" anything. "soushoku danshi" comes from "soushoku doubutsu", or "herbivore".

[tsotha]

Kazinator is right. Don't think vegetarian. Think "herd animal sluggishly grazing in the fields".

[shaurz]

"meat" = vagina