Beards in Japan!
 

First, I'll preface this by saying that without some sort of facial hair, I look like I'm 14 years old. It's still not uncommon for me to have to show an ID at Rated R (17+) movies, even though I've been past that age for a few years now. Some call it "boyish good looks;" I call it an epic fail :D
As such, I normally keep some kind of stubble; nothing innapropriate for work.

Since I've left work in preparation to move to Japan, I've decided to get in touch with my inner-mountain climber and grow an awesome beard. I've still got about 3 weeks left and it's looking good so far. This is really just for fun and I plan on shaving it when I resume school/work in Tokyo, but it got me thinking...How are beards perceived in Japan? Do a lot of guys wear them, and is there any kind of cultural stigma to them? Are they "accepted," I guess? And how many of you guys in Japan have some sort of facial hair?:D Bonus points if you've got the lumberjack look going!

The only people I saw wearing beards in Japan were either musician/artistic types or homeless.

So is this a result of some sort of stigma, like they're "dirty/unkempt" or something? And do they fall into the same lack of acceptance category as tattoos?

I think genetics keep most men in Japan from having really good looking full, thick beards.

I remember seeing a TV show in Japan comparing the opinions of women in Tokyo to women in Okinawa. The women in Okinawa were much more attracted to hairy men then the women in Tokyo, who did not like hairy men.