Sex...

In (eventual) response to a request from Dave, here's the first of a trilogy about the racier side of Japanese life...no prizes for guessing the titles of the next two entries...

In such a rigidly conservative society as Japan, you'd expect an appropriate stance towards sex, but this isn't always the case. Japan actually displays attitudes that seem to contradict each other; on one hand, no kissing in public because of sexual connotations, on the other, a troupe of transvestites carrying a gigantic pink cock down a main road. Surprisingly enough, in the dictatorship of the Edo period, attitudes to sexuality were considerably more lenient than they became with the introduction of "Western Enlightenment" in the Meiji period. The new rulers felt that public morality had to be tailored to strengthen ties with Western powers.

During the hoo-ha over Brokeback Mountain, I remember one particularly virulent critic saying they found it highly offensive that cowboys, truly a Great American Symbol were presented as gay men, and that the Japanese probably wouldn’t like it if there was a major film made about a gay Samurai…well, the thing is…what do the Japanese and the Ancient Greeks have in common? Medieval Japan (and to some extent, modern Japan) was a rather misogynistic, men-first society. Women were there for sex and making babies. There were those who felt that ones true equal, intellectually and emotionally could only be found in one of the same sex - women simply weren’t made of the same stuff that men were, consequently couldn’t relate to their deeper feelings. Therefore, it wasn't uncommon for some Samurai to have page boys as lovers.

Today, as in the past, most Japanese live with several generations of their family, in a house with paper thin walls. Even those who live alone aren't assured privacy from their neighbours. This is where the uniquely Japanese phenomenon of the Love Hotel comes in handy. These are establishments, usually located away from the activity of a city, where couples can have sex in private surroundings, staying for just a few hours, or overnight. The facades are usually ornate in an ex-Mafioso Riviera Mansion style, whilst the entrances are discreet. Then there's the rooms themselves, legendarily displaying a wide range of decoration, from Medieval Palace to '50's Diner (complete with a bed shaped like a car), with some places incorporating an S&M room in the basement. These days, Love Hotels are trying to lose their sleazy image, so many of the Disneyland style theme rooms are disappearing, in favour of less cartoonish (but not necessarily more tasteful) apparel.

As mentioned before, you will almost never see Japanese couples exchanging a kiss in public. This is because in Japan a kiss is seen as a part of foreplay. Hayley and I once ran into a gaggle of some of my 3rd year girls. In the midst of their giggles, they asked us to kiss each other. Naturally, we didn’t humour the little voyeurs. There was actually a law against kissing in public in the 1920's, rescinded during the American occupation in 1945. The Japanese word for kiss, seppun, is rarely used, the English derived kissu being a substitute. According to one writer (very interesting article if you have the time),

"many Japanese consider kissing to be an import from the West..."

This same writer recounts a story of Rodins' sculpture "The Kiss" being exhibited in Tokyo in 1930. The nudity of the figures wasn't considered problematic by the authorities, but they insisted that the heads be covered up. This is echoed in the attitude towards pornography, which has its traditions in the erotic Shunga prints of the Edo period.

The legality of pornography in Japan is a peculiar old fruit. Whilst titles of a violent or scatological nature don't seem to be a problem, genitals and pubic hair on the other hand are an absolute no-no. Toshio Maeda's "Urotsukidoji" series of Manga (not for the faint hearted) got around this problem by presenting the penis as a tentacle appendage attached to a big scary monster.

Pornography is widely available, sometimes on display in the most ill advised places. One video store in Kawasaki happens to have their adult section right next to a shelf of cartoons, and there's even a porn-dispensing vending machine in central Osaka.

Worryingly famous are those who decide to take advantage of the anonymity of crowded trains and have a cheeky squeeze of tender parts of someone’s anatomy. Thankfully, train companies have considered this matter, and added “women-only” carriages to trains at certain times, when they consider the chikan to be out in force…plus, read any internet message board about Japan, look for this subject and read with glee the stories of ladies who take their revenge on the filthy gits.

All this seems to paint the Japanese as a nation of sexual deviants, but that's only because the data has been clumped together in a sweaty writhing mass. The fabled vending machines of school-girls panties caused a moral uproar when they first appeared in Chiba in the '90s. The public was horrified on the whole, but legally, the authorities couldn't do anything about it, as there were no laws in place covering the sale of used underwear. Suddenly, an idea was born. The garments were brought under the control of a law governing the sale of antiques, and declared as such, since they were second hand. Anybody wishing to sell antiques had to apply for a licence from the local governing body, which could naturally be refused during the process, as it was in most cases. I never thought I'd type this ever, but...bureaucracy saves the day!!