Late heat and rain... Increased fatigue from odor
Is odor a cleanliness issue? ... Hormones also a cause
Cause of ajusshi and elderly smell is 'Nonenal'
It is a well-known fact that white and black people tend to have stronger body odor, while East Asians have less. Among East Asians, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese are known to have even less body odor. However, there are distinct differences among Korea, China, and Japan. In particular, it is somewhat surprising that Koreans are the ethnic group with the least intense underarm odor in the world.
The relatively low level of body odor in Koreans has also been revealed by research. The so-called "armpit odor," or "bromhidrosis," is caused by chemical substances secreted from apocrine sweat glands reacting with unsaturated fatty acids and bacteria. This is because not many Koreans possess the G gene, which is associated with active apocrine gland secretion.
According to a research team from the University of Bristol in the UK, individuals with the G gene tend to have stronger body odor, while those with the A gene have less. The G gene is mostly found in Africans and Europeans, whereas the A gene is common among East Asians.
Only 2% of the population in Korea carry the G gene, which is the lowest rate in the world. One characteristic of the G gene is moist earwax, while most Koreans have dry earwax.
According to a 2013 study published in the journal Frontiers Research Foundation by a Japanese research team, Koreans had the highest proportion of the A-type genotype of the ABCC11 gene, which is involved in underarm odor among various races. People with the A-type gene have less apocrine sweat gland secretion.
At the end of August, a Japanese female announcer faced criticism for saying that men smell bad, which was labeled as gender discrimination, leading to her resignation. Shortly after, discussions about the smell of Korean middle-aged men, or "Korean ajusshi," sparked controversy on Korean Twitter and other social media platforms. The topic of ajusshi odor has heated up the internet in both Korea and Japan. Is it true that ajusshi smell bad?
Recently, Japanese freelance announcer Kawaguchi Yuri stirred controversy by criticizing men who do not manage their body odor during the summer. On her social media platform X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, "The smell of men in summer and the body odor of unhygienic people are very unpleasant. I shower several times a day, use clean wet wipes, and apply antiperspirant all year round for cleanliness. More men should do this."
The controversy over Kawaguchi's remarks escalated, with accusations of sexism. Eventually, her agency notified her of contract termination. On the 17th of last month, Kawaguchi appeared on a YouTube channel and said, "I am a former freelance announcer and currently unemployed. I was mentally distressed after the controversy and have no memory of a week. I lost 6 kg in two days." However, she reiterated her apology for the remarks, saying, "I hurt construction and other field workers. I was simply urging people who do not care for sweat to observe 'etiquette.' I am truly sorry," bowing her head.
One of the causes of the odor controversy is the heat. This year, the summer was hot, and the late autumn heat combined with rain increased discomfort levels. In hot and humid weather, unpleasant odors from others are intensified in crowded or confined environments such as public transportation or workplaces. On Korean Twitter and other platforms, the issue of "odor etiquette" continues to arise and is becoming a social problem.
Experts say that the "odor" causing the uproar on Twitter is due to nonenal. Nonenal is the substance responsible for what is commonly called "old person smell (加齡臭)" or "ajusshi smell." In fact, the term "ajusshi smell" is more accurate than "old person smell" because nonenal is mainly secreted by men over their 40s. Women hardly produce nonenal even as they age. As people become elderly, their metabolic capacity decreases, and the fatty acid called nonenal in sebum is not fully oxidized. The accumulated substance is nonenal aldehyde, which causes the "old person smell."
Urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and benign prostatic hyperplasia are also major causes of old person smell. As people age, the bladder's capacity to expand decreases, reducing the amount of urine it can hold from 350?400 mL to 250?300 mL. When the bladder is compressed, urine leaks out. Additionally, weakening of the anal muscles, nerves, and pelvic nerves causes fecal incontinence, where small amounts of stool leak and stain underwear, which is common among the elderly. Furthermore, men often have urine stains on their underwear due to benign prostatic hyperplasia, which is also a major cause of old person smell.
Some people claim that "smell comes from not washing," but nonenal does not easily disappear even with washing. It means that ordinary soap or cleansers cannot easily remove it. There are even wet wipes specifically designed to remove nonenal for elderly people in long-term care facilities. Japan is a country sensitive to odors. In fact, the company that first revealed the reality of ajusshi smell is Shiseido.
Freelance announcer Kawaguchi Yuri from Japan appeared on a YouTube channel and apologized again for her remark that "men's summer body odor is unpleasant." Photo by YouTube channel ReHacQ-リハック- capture.
Japan, a country sensitive to odors, even has the term "smell harassment"
In Japan, odor often becomes a social issue. The compound word "sumehara," combining "smell" and "harassment," has been in use for over ten years. Whether a person emits an odor can even affect personnel evaluations. Since 2015, an eyeglass company introduced a "smell" item in its employee dress code, requiring employees to undergo breath odor tests upon arrival and banning smoking during work hours.
Europe is also waging a war against odors. In the UK, a criminal justice bill introduced in April to replace the 1824 Vagrancy Act allows the relocation of homeless people causing "disturbances," with odor included as a criterion for disturbance, sparking controversy. The UK government explained that the bill aims only to reform outdated laws criminalizing homelessness.
The ethnic group with the least body odor is Koreans
When heat waves continue, Korea also becomes noisy over the issue of ajusshi odor, but in fact, Koreans are the people with the least body odor. The most intense body odor, the so-called "bromhidrosis," is caused by chemical substances secreted from apocrine sweat glands reacting with unsaturated fatty acids and bacteria. However, few Koreans carry the G gene, which is associated with active apocrine gland secretion. Only 2% of the Korean population have the G gene, the lowest rate worldwide. One characteristic of the G gene is moist earwax, but most Koreans have dry earwax.
Also, a 2013 Japanese research team published a paper in the journal Frontiers Research Foundation reporting that Koreans had the highest proportion of the A-type genotype of the ABCC11 gene, which is involved in underarm odor among various races. People with the A-type gene have less apocrine gland secretion.
East Asians have less body odor than whites and blacks. Among East Asians, Koreans have even less. This is considered a fact proven both empirically and scientifically.
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