Q. When did the Japanese people first use cosmetics?

A. Although there is evidence that people in China used face powder called empaque more than 2000 years ago, its first use in Japan about 1300 years ago described in a book "Nihon-shoki". People around that time were said to use powders made from rice and oyster shells as cosmetics. Mirrors around that time were not like today's silver mirror but rather were made of bronze. Because a bronze mirror does not reflect well and rusts easily, people apparently polished mirrors with vinegar every day. When you see the rusty mirrors of ancient times at museums, think about the hard life in those days. Since today there are many high quality cosmetics and good mirrors on the market, aren't we lucky?