中国古代美女标准历史故事中的女性形象
在幕府末期，外国人的“发现”不仅限于日本的政治、经济和文化，还包括了日本女性尤其是姑娘们独特的魅力。日语中的“姑娘”很快被融入英语或法语之中。1860年，随着奥伊伦堡使节团第一次踏上日本国土的布朗特（MaxvonBrandt，1853～1920）在1882年再次以领事身份来到日本，并在1872至1875年间担任驻日德国公使。他赞叹道：“姑娘给日本增添了生机和光彩，成了一道不可或缺的景致。”
奥伊伦堡一行人去王子游玩时，在染井的一个苗圃停留。贝尔格说：“这个园子里最美丽的花”就是那家的姑娘。她高雅温柔，我们去的时候她穿着朴素的便装，在园子里侍弄花草，当我们出现时，她放下手中的活儿给我们倒茶。她的矜持、亲切举止深深吸引了我们。而奥伊伦堡的手记中也有这样的记载：“每次与端茶的姑娘搭话，她就两颊绯红，我们当中的年轻小伙子很快被她迷住了，以致我花了好大力气才赶他们上了路。”
卡廷迪克指挥咸临丸航海演习，于安政五年（1858）访问鹿儿岛。在看到“穿着薄如轻纱和服，披着浓密黑发”的姑娘们时，荷兰水兵开始兴奋起来，他们偷偷跟他说：“还从来没有见过如此场景。就在这儿抛锚吧，我们哪儿也不想去了。”在1857年卡廷迪克就来过鹿儿岛，那个时候，“姑娘们美得无以言表长发和巧致发髻”给他留下了非常深刻印象。
贝尔格一行人在到达江户后，便去街上闲逛，与随行的日本官员一起去了茶馆。那不是妓院，而是一个名副其实的茶馆。贝尔格说侍女们乖巧让人惊叹。而奥伊伦堡使节团乘坐普鲁士舰队船长维尔纳也深有感触：“Japanese women are so fresh and beautiful, I am in love with this land.”
林道提及：“她们牙齿是世界上最好看，她们眼神温柔眉黛弯弯。她們鹅蛋脸苗条身材端庄体态朴素优雅……她们鞠躬露出甜美笑容缓缓走近便成了一幅画；而当她们从身边跑过‘不停地说对不起’又俨然是一种美妙的声音”。
斯温森则说与日本男人的丑陋完全不同，“Japanese women have skin as white as water, hair as black as ink, melancholy eyes and lively faces. They are all beautiful.” “Although they are not tall but their figure is very good. Their hands and feet are small and cute. Looking at them one can understand the overindulgence of Japanese men in love.”
伯斯布鲁克在江户遇到了大名女乘坐轿子的场面，大名女撩开帘子露出的手腕臂美丽“I never saw such a thing in Europe.”
1874-75年的法国海军士官杜博也表示： “The skin color of Japanese girls is not like what Europeans say it is until young adulthood. Especially in northern Japan, you often see pink or white-skinned girls that make Parisian beauties envious. From the inside of their kimono collars almost everything is perfect – necklines, rounded shoulders, richly sensory.” However he regretted that “unfortunately”, the development below waist was too immature compared to their upper body which made them look uncoordinated after thirty years old. According to Swinson beauty fades away after thirty years old for these Japanese ladies.
These foreign visitors were deeply moved by the unique charm of Japanese women during that period when cultural exchange between East and West was just beginning to take place.
