Azumagata Ningyo: Japan’s historical sex dolls

We’ve talked before about Edo era Tokyo sex shops. Well, the locals also had their own sex dolls as well, called Azumagata Ningyo (吾妻形人形).

After purchasing your “dutch wife” from Yotsumeya, you took the Tenga of its day back home for some fun. It was a crude device, something like a picture school, covered with a bundle of clothing, but made from Tortoiseshell material and so could be heated up with hot water for the natural touch. The piece de resistance was surely the “onahole”, in this case a leather pouch.

We should point out that there seems to be no serious historical evidence for Azumagata Ningyo, as far as we can tell, though it apparently is mentioned in eighteenth century texts and was at some point painted by the great print artist Hokkusai. It might be a bit of an urban myth — but knowing the reputation for Edo as a pleasure capital, we doubt it!

There are said to have been other contemporary sex dolls, such as the Zuiki and Harikata, which were dildos for women. There was also a preference for using cucumbers or konnyaku as masturbators. Those with money could get their hands (and more) on the more up-market “Chasen”, made of leather.