As Japan's contact with the West increased, especially during the Meiji Restoration, the application of the term shifted:
By the 19th century, the term began to be applied more frequently to Europeans and Americans. In this context, it referred to the perceived physical differences of Caucasians (who often had more body hair than East Asians) and their status as the "new" foreigners who were displacing China's traditional role as the primary "other". hairy chinese
While initially a descriptive or administrative category for outsiders, it gradually evolved into a derogatory slur used to emphasize the "otherness" or "uncivilized" nature of foreigners. Cultural Significance Today As Japan's contact with the West increased, especially
Furthermore, while the term itself is largely archaic or relegated to historical slurs in Japan, the broader conversation around body hair in Chinese culture continues. For example, some regional traditions in China, such as those in the "Long Hair Village" of Huangluo, celebrate long hair as a symbol of longevity and prosperity, standing in stark contrast to the historical "hairy" pejoratives used by neighboring cultures. The "hairy" prefix was not necessarily a commentary
Historically, ke-tō was used by the Japanese to describe foreigners. The "hairy" prefix was not necessarily a commentary on facial hair, but rather a way to distinguish "barbarians" or outsiders from the perceived "civilized" norms of the Japanese court, which heavily modeled itself after the Tang Dynasty. Evolution of the Term