Last month, the Japan Family Planning Association released the results of a survey about sexual activity conducted among 3,000 married participants.
In analyzing the data, Shukan Jitsuwa (Feb. 19) feels it necessary to sound a warning bell: Beware of an increasingly sexless Japan.
For starters, the magazine points to the association’s ominous finding that roughly 50 percent of the male and female participants, aged between 16 and 49, had been sexually inactive over the past month.
“This is an increase of five percentage points over the results from two years ago,” says a local news reporter. “As to the reason (for the inactivity), 21.3 percent of men indicated that work made them too tired. For women, nearly 25 percent claimed that sex was too ‘bothersome.'”
In comparing the results to that of other countries, Shukan Jitsuwa becomes becomes genuinely alarmed.
“In Korea, 30 percent engage in sex once or twice a week,” says a writer covering lifestyle trends. “One in 10 do it everyday. For England, more than 60 percent have sex once a month.”
Yikes!
Articles appearing in foreign media outlets have indicated that Japan’s collective lack of sex drive could be a reflection of its fondness for adultery and the rise of “herbivorous men,” a term used to describe males who lack confidence in a continually dismal economy.
With self examination seemingly not its forte, Shukan Jitsuwa only concedes that there may be some legitimacy in the overseas reporting. A writer covering the fuzoku (sex-related) trade offers his two yen.
“Sure, there is no shortage of cases of a guy, worn out by work, coming home to a wife focused on raising children,” says the writer. “However, men in Japan can turn to touch pubs, adult video rooms and games with virtual girlfriends — all of which have been featured in the overseas press as being reflective of our country. And, you know, we might be pointing out in the near future that the foreign media got it right.”
Shukan Jitsuwa suggests Japan implement a national Sex Day holiday. It would certainly give new meaning to “hump day.”
Source: “Sekkusuresu zoka de Nihon ga abunai,” Shukan Jitsuwa (Feb. 19, pages 192-193)