Why did east asians used to be darker skinned

[Baldingegghead]

If you look at old pics or vids of china or japan almost all of them are dark like jungle gooks

Wtf happened

 

[Oroborus]

They fraudd nowadays

 

[Copexodius Maximus]

If you look at old pics or vids of china or japan almost all of them are dark like jungle gooks

Wtf happened

Most of them were farmers and had to work outside.

 

[massculini]

Mate selection

 

[Sexless incel]

Most of them were farmers and had to work outside.

 

[LeFrenchCel]

whitu cocku maybe

 

[Baldingegghead]

Most of them were farmers and had to work outside.

Yeah but im sure they still go outside

 

[Academiciancel]

I don't know about China, but as Japanese, I think I can answer the part about Japan. @Copexodius Maximus is basically right, though it's only half of the truth.

In the old days, most prominently in the Showa Era (when Emperor Showa reigned over the Empire of Japan between 1926-1989), people mostly worked outside due to Emperor Showa giving importance to agrarian reforms instead of industrialization, especially between 1926-45, and obviously there was no sunscreen back then, so everyone who worked had tanned skin due to sunburn. This is the first reason, but it's not the only one.

The second reason is that photos taken outside were affected by outside light, and they conequently turned black with ultraviolet light. So, basically due to technology of the period being primitive compared to today's technology. And if you carefully observe the pictures, it's only those pictures that are taken outside where people have "dark" skin. Basically, the tanned skin of people was further exacerbated on the photos due to technology of the day.

 

[UnwantedVirgin]

Air pollution diminishing the sun's rays, need lighter skin to be healthy with less UV reaching the surface.