BY: CAROLINE ROLF
Japan is rejecting a custom that comes as human nature to most. It is undeniable that Western advertising and much of the media is oversaturated with sexual content. Sex-obsessed content is perhaps the most prominent in Japan, where the pornography industry is thriving and a fertility festival is held each year that includes a parade featuring five-foot-tall penis sculptures.
With so much sex selling in Japan, why is it that the population is predicted to have a decline of one-third over the next 45 years? To put it simply, Japanese have no interest in actually having sex.
The results of a survey show that 27.6 per cent of single men and 22.6 of single women have no interest in a relationship with the opposite sex. It could be more than a lack of interest in coitus – Japanese may even find the act repugnant.
“41.6 per cent of males in their 20’s have never dated anyone,” says Tokyo researcher.
Although it’s not to say all Japanese will remain single, there are those that wish to marry eventually, but some see having a significant other as a burden and would rather have their spare time to themselves. Another driving factor in the disinterest of finding a partner is the shift in societal values. More than 30 per cent of singles in Japan admit that without a partner, they are relieved of family-based pressures.
We have long thought of civilization to be an interconnection of humans – 7 billion social beings that depend on each other for survival and happiness. We’ve even seen the rise of “cuddle cafes” in Japan, where you pay for human contact from a stranger. However, contrary to this idea, more Japanese are finding it more convenient to live a life isolated from others. One man even admitted that, “I do not want people in my life, so sex is included here.” This statement is understandable when purchasing a blow-up doll, for those seeking human touch, is as accessible as a pack of gum.
The distaste in sex is not partial to singles. 44.6 percent of married couples told the Japan Family Planning Association that they are in a sexless marriage. Reasons for abstaining from sex range from fatigue and childbirth to coming to think of their partner as a blood relative. Shocking.
Japan’s esoteric sexual culture could have a real threat on the country’s future. The population decline is an alarming issue now, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is determined to prevent the nation from slipping down the social and economic ladder. How he’ll accomplish a raise in birth rate is unclear, but here’s to Japan getting freaky in the future.
A quarter of the population lacks any sexual experience well into their 30’s.
Image sourcing: huffingtonpost.com, blog.asiantown.net
