Do Japanese People Have a Porn Addiction Problem?

A lot of young Japanese young adults are losing interest in having real sex. Instead, they are getting their sexual pleasures from things that they see on the internet and screens. Although Japan has a low virginity rate, researchers suspect that this discrepancy may be due to socio-economic factors, especially as regards Japanese men that identify as heterosexual. These findings have made experts and researchers more curious about the “exoticization” of sexual behaviors in Japanese culture.

For decades now an occurrence known as “sekkusu-banare” has been the case amongst young Japanese adults. It is when one is losing interest in sex and genuine intimate relationships. According to the 2010 and 2015 surveys in Japan, it was shown that about 42% of “never married” Japanese heterosexual young adults, between the ages of 18 to 34 had never had sex.

Moreover, in the last decade, 50% of Japanese young adults lost their virginities in their early 20s, therefore only one in 10 Japanese stay virgins before they get to 30 years. Japan also has a record of being one of the countries with the lowest birth rates in the world as well as the home to an aging population. Over 30 million citizens of Japan are over 65 years old. Even though the country has made efforts to boost their childbirth and marriage rates, there has been hardly any change in people having sex, getting married, or having children.

Experts have become curious as to why young adults in Japan are showing very little interest in having sex. A hypothesis was made that the lack of interest may be due to the country’s work culture, economic instability, and/or other unorthodox reasons such as being more inclined to seek sexual pleasure from watching pornography or video games featuring a sexy heroine. The cause of the lack of interest in having sex with a partner among Japanese have also been traced to Japanese manga which favors fantasy over reality.  

Is Porn the Reason for Lack of sex in Japan?

The most probable cause for lack of sex amongst Japanese is evolving or changing societal and economic norms, which are triggering an increase in “serious porn use” and a decrease in physical intimacy and sexual interactions with the opposite sex. Another conclusion was also made that Japanese heterosexual males, who are ready for a relationship lack the confidence to approach a woman out of fear of being rejected. This fear has been traced to serious anxiety so severe that it makes them look at porn instead.

Fortunately, there are support programs that can help men who suffer from anxiety, extreme stress, boredom or loneliness. These support programs are developed to help men gain control over their angst, and in some cases, their porn addiction. A good example is “White Hands”, a Tokyo- based nonprofit organization that offers nude art classes, where men can draw naked women. The aim of these classes is to ease men’s anxiety and stress, helping them become more confident and comfortable in their sexuality.

Unfortunately, this is the closest some men get to being with a real-life naked woman. Therefore, when you consider this and look at the growing interest in the fantasy world of anime, especially the ones that feature nude, sexy female characters, It makes sense why single Japanese men would rather play video games and watch porn, over searching for real love, a relationship and sex.  

Do Japanese suffer from Porn Addiction?  

The simple answer is, yes, porn addiction is very common among young Japanese. While there are several socio-economic factors that contribute to serious sex and relationship problems, it is impossible to ignore porn’s role in this issue. It is after all a country where pornography is common. The truth is porn is very common in Japan and it is available in different forms. You can easily purchase it at a store on the street or watch it online, especially for adults. So, it is not far-fetched to say Japan’s porn industry is causing adults in their 20s and 30s in the country to drift away from real life. Japan, in fact, ranks as the 12^th country that visits Pornhub the most.

Hentai is now entering the Japan porn market so more people are being exposed to porn. “Hentai seiyoku” means “perverted sexual desire.” In Japanese culture this is known as bizarre or taboo sexual preferences, desires, or acts. The term “Hentai” is also used to describe generalized anime-related porn. The main characteristics of hentai porn are characters, who engage in extreme or exaggerated sexual acts, such as bestiality or animal fetishes, cartoons with abnormally large genitals, child porn, and incestuous relationships (sexual relationships between blood related siblings).

Other common forms of hentai include demons, monsters, vegetables, giant insects and cartoon women being sexually assaulted. Hentai women and girls are usually depicted as crosses between young adult women and little girls, with rosy cheeks and big oval eyes. Hentai does all these to promote the idea of “sexy innocence.” You will see a combination of childlike expressions and petite, hairless bodies, tiny facial hairs and extremely large breasts. Hentai’s female characters also exhibit “porn star” behaviors.

With these numerous sexual options, it is not hard to imagine why many Japanese “porn addicts” do not think that being in a relationship and having a real-life partner can provide them the same fantasy and sexual satisfaction as pornography. The technology advancement in the country has also contributed to Japan’s porn problem by offering men access to virtual ai girlfriends designed to replace their real-life girlfriends and relationships. 

Conclusion

Do Japanese people have a porn addiction problem? Yes, they do. So much that it affects their ability to make real relationships and have real sex. The addiction to porn in Japan can be traced to several factors, but the easy availability of porn doesn’t help either. Young adults in the country have now looked to porn as a way to satisfy their sexual pleasures. Although porn addiction is an issue in many countries, Japan seems to be one of the top victims.