The development of aesthetic facial surgery in Japan: as seen through a study of Japanese pictorial art.

A study of pictorial art in Japan reveals a basic concept of beauty which is very much related to the development of aesthetic surgery for the Japanese face. The eyes, nose, and mouth in a round-to-oval face are traditionally expressed in a unique manner that is based on the Buddhist ideas of harmony and universality. The common facial characteristics of the Japanese were idealized in a manner that was best seen in the oblique view. The key to effective aesthetic surgery for such facial features is suggested in the author's ideas for enhancing facial expression and individuality. This can be seen in the double-eyelid operation and augmentation rhinoplasty, which are the two asthetic surgery procedures that are more popular in Japan than in the West.