Japan’s lolicon obsession and “junior idols” shops
As you know, we are about as liberal as you can get on Tokyo Kinky. And we also think that even just a cursory glance at history and past civilisations shows that concepts of sexuality are not universal but rather contextual and culturally relative.
We don’t think you can define what is right or wrong — or normal or abnormal — by simple black-and-white lines.
And so we’ve had a fairly relaxed and non-pensive view on the lolicon (“Lolita Complex”) evident in Japanese society, from its more innocent forms — teenagers like Ai Hashimoto or Aira Mihana posing for bikini shots — to the deliberate “coy virgin seductress” look of AKB and all their ubiquitous spin-offs.
Check out some of Aira Mihana’s DVDs, which even on the cover make no secret that she is just 14 or 15 at the time.
We never judge it but sometimes we do have trouble understanding the appeal. We ask ourselves: What’s all the fuss when there are far sexier girls a little older?
These questions are passing through our minds as we browse the website of Oimoya, an idol shop in Akihabara which specializes in “junior idols”, teenagers (and we mean, really young teenagers) who are models.
The store is one of many bricks and mortars outlets, not to mention digital ones, that sell merchandise related to “child idols” (chidol), in the form of thousands of DVDs and photo books. They also organize events like meet-and-greet sessions
We’re not sure what label to put on some of this — pedophilia, hebephilia, or ephebophilia? — and besides, such name-calling is rather academic. Japan is an ambiguous place and always will be.
One thing’s for sure; it’s not our personal preference! And if it never goes beyond these DVDs and photo shoots, does it need to be a problem? Our jury’s well and truly out.
6 Comments
Part of the appeal of young girls is the memory of a boy’s first sexual stirrings while going to school. As a man in my 30s and 40’s, I still remember the longing I had for certain female classmates. So much desire, but no real outlet. These products just tap into those fantasies. Is child sexual abuse more prevalent in Japan than the West? I don’t think so. And actual child abuse is much worse.
@Dan Tanaki
Thanks! Really interesting points! We agree.
Don’t the children’s parents ever ask questions, surly they can’t all be after the same thing?
Maybe you people should be asking yourself why you feel so repulsively towards child-adult sexuality, when it’s perfectly good and natural and beautiful; maybe you people are the abnormal ones and Japan has had it right all along.
@Dan Tanaki
speak for yourself. they are just plain hot.
The most important problems with the junior idol industry is quite obviously that the highly sexualized imagery is not at all healthy for the posing children, who are not mature enough to give informed consent or fully grasp the consequences of becoming a sex symbol as a child.
Even if the industry was squeaky clean and no idol was ever touched or handled in an (- other than in the pictures and videos -) exploitative way, these children are neither mentally nor emotionally prepared for a future when coming of age means realizing thousands of men every day are jerking off to their pics and vids, hooking up to closed web forums to obtain information on true identity, current whereabouts.. etc. Furthermore, the industry is NOT squeaky clean. Producing such material is of course priming the childols for off-camera abuse, and no one in their right mind believes this is not happening – as the very core of this business is offering sexual content for money.
This industry is doomed. It is only a matter of time before it is history.