We’ve learned (via My Navi News) that female breast sizes in Japan are increasing, despite what some longstanding stereotypes might say.

Triumph International Japan, a multinational underwear and lingerie company, has recently released their “Underwear White Paper vol.15”, a survey of trends in 2014.

The company has conducted a survey every other month on their homepage since the year 2000. Every fiscal year, the results are announced in the Underwear White Paper volume, which is released in May.

Transitions in cup sizes reveal that in 2014 business in bras was changing, with 26.3% going to C cups and D cups taking in 24.1%. Sales of E cups and F cups have increased as well. Sales of A cups were 5.3%, which is a decrease. F cup sales were 6.0%, which is an increase compared to sales of A cups.

If we compare this survey with the results from 2000, A and B cup sales have fallen, going from 45.6% down to 25.8 percent. On the other hand, compared to 2000’s result of 24.6% for D and E cups, 2014’s survey reveals a 15 percent increase for them.

If we compare the results to 1980’s averages, we see that over 30 years cup sizes have increased.

Do larger sizes give more satisfaction? When asked what the ideal size was, A and B cup women say they want to be one to two cup sizes larger. D cup women say either D or E cup size is ideal. Between A to B cup women, fewer than 20% of women polled say they are their ideal size. Among C cup women, that number is 15 to 30%. From all of the women polled, D cup women seem to have the most satisfaction, at 37.1%.

In response to this troubling news, this translator would like to remind people of what Izumi Konata once said, “Flat chests are a status symbol. Scarcity makes them valuable.”

Editor’s Note: Images are of Japanese AV actress, Hitomi Tanaka