SEX IN DEPTH When freaky-deaky
equals hara-kiri By William
Sparrow
BANGKOK - The Japanese population
is believed to have peaked at about 127.5 million
in 2005. Since then the figure has declined, with
some estimates suggesting the population could
shrink to 105 million by 2050. The drop is feared
to have negative impacts on the nation's labor
force and grave social and economic consequences.
Recent reports seem to indicate that the sexual
proclivities of Japanese men are contributing
adversely to the situation.
More and more
men, reports maintain, are turning to masturbation
and sex toys rather than to their female
counterparts. And further exacerbating an already
declining birthrate of 1.29 children per women
found in a 2004 survey by The Daily Yomiuri, is
the fact
that some men are increasingly
turning their backs on sex.
"Sex is just
way too much trouble," a 35-year-old Japanese man
told Shukan Asahi this week, adding that ever
since he used masturbation as a teenager, he's
never desired a woman again. "As long as I have a
sex toy available, I don't need women. I can't
come when I have sex, and you've got to put a lot
of emotion into dealing with women. Self-pleasure
is a hell of a lot less demanding than trying to
please somebody else."
Pornography,
masturbation aids, Internet porn sites and social
networks that lead to "virtual relationships",
soaplands and Japan's widespread prostitution
industry all allow men outlets for sexual
fulfillment while not fulfilling other needs, such
as procreation. The alarming trend has led medical
experts in Japan to coin a new term for a
condition they call "vaginal ejaculation
dysfunctional disorder".
"There has been a
definite increase in the number of men showing
signs of vaginal ejaculation dysfunction disorder,
which includes such afflictions as premature and
delayed ejaculation. There are physical reasons
believed to be behind this, including prejudice
against women, past trauma and overuse of
masturbatory aids so that a vagina is unable to
provide sufficient stimulation," Dr Tsuneo Akaeda,
head of the Akaeda Clinic in Tokyo's Roppongi
entertainment district, told Shukan Asahi.
"Some of the masturbation aids coming out
nowadays are absolutely incredible. Guys become
used to using these and there is no doubt that
many men are unable to obtain the necessary
satisfaction from a female vagina that they need
to ejaculate."
Meanwhile, Japan is quickly
becoming the world's oldest population. By 2025,
27.3%, or 33.2 million people, will be aged over
60, a study titled "The Illusion of Immigration
Control" found.
Low birth rate coupled
with the aforementioned sexual dysfunctions make
the problems that Japan faces immediate and
daunting.
"With Japan's labor force
expected to decrease by 10% in the next 25 years,
the economic outlook is far from bright. In all
likelihood, the domestic market will shrink,
production will fall, the government's revenue
base will contract inexorably and it will struggle
to meet welfare and medical payments for an
increasing number of elderly as the dependency
ratio (the number of workers supporting the
elderly) will shift dramatically. In 1950, one
elderly person was supported by 12 members of the
working population, by 1990 it was 5.5 workers,
and by 2020 it is estimated to be 2.3 workers.
Naturally, the government is concerned about such
a scenario," Julian Chapple wrote in a 2005 study
titled "The Dilemma Posed by Japan's Population
Decline".
The government has put forward a
number of proposals to reverse the trend. These
have included the "Plus 1" (indicating the
increase the government hopes to see to the
birthrate), softening of immigration laws, child
care initiatives, subsidies to parents for medical
care and child care and working with Japanese
employers to allow more "flex" time for parents.
While the government has given the situation the
appropriate attention, so far most of the
initiatives have made little change and failed to
stem the decline.
Japan, like many
societies, can at times struggle with open
communication and education about sex. So, perhaps
the answer is being overlooked: encourage more sex
between partners and husbands and wives through
better communication and education.
William Sparrow has
been an occasional contributor to Asia Times
Online and now joins Asia Times Online with a
weekly column. Sparrow is editor in chief of
Asian Sex Gazette and has reported on sex in Asia for
over five years. To contact him send question or
comments to
Letters@atimes.com.
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