I saw this article http://storify.com/articlepro1979/snag-this-in-japan-straight-teeth-are-out-and-the , and I’m wondering if it’s true? Never mind if people pay for it, are crooked teeth attractive in the first place? How popular are they? I mean, Cracked had an article on how many things we think are common in Japan are actually not.
I have a subtle snaggletooth, and a lot of guys have found it cute and endearing, like a dimple or crooked smile.
The last time I was in Japan, there was somewhat of a surge in the popularity of ‘yaeba’ (八重歯), which is what it’s called there. It is believed to make the girl seem young, innocent, and ‘kawaii’ (かわいい: cute). Guys eat it up. I’ve always felt this to be a little pervy, but to each his own, I guess.
I believe that, besides the subset of the population who have a fetish for this, many people do not get braces when they were teenagers because they do not really care about US-style straight teeth, and would rather spend the money on education. I received this information many months ago from my Japanese girlfriend, so my memory may be wrong about this.