The Scientific Reason Most People in Japan Don't Have B.O.

The secret to body odor is, of all things, hidden in your earwax.

So that's why

If you've ever felt self-conscious on a packed summer train, you've probably also wondered why the deodorant aisle here looks so... polite. Tiny roll-ons, gentle floral scents, and a general lack of the industrial-strength options we're used to back home.

I always just assumed it was a cultural thing. Turns out, it's mostly genetic.

The earwax connection

There's a gene called ABCC11, and it basically decides two things for you: whether you have wet or dry earwax, and whether you produce the chemical compounds that cause body odor.

If you have dry, flaky earwax, you're carrying a variation of the gene that means you don't have B.O. This is overwhelmingly common in East Asia—it's present in nearly 100% of Koreans and a huge majority of Japanese and Chinese people.

If your earwax is wet and sticky, your ABCC11 gene is "active," which means your sweat will contain the stuff that bacteria love to feast on, creating that familiar locker-room smell. This gene type is the norm for people of European and African descent.

It's all in the genes

This explains so much. It's why body odor isn't a major social concern in Japan, and why your Japanese friends might look at you funny when you talk about your favorite deodorant. For many, it's just not a thing.

For context, while almost all Europeans and people of African descent have the "wet earwax/B.O." gene, things get more mixed in Asia. For instance, only about 39% of Vietnamese people have a version that causes mild B.O., and just 7% have the strong version.

So, yeah. Next time you're sweating on the Yamanote line, you can just blame your ancestors. 😅