One sure-fire way to promote condom usage is to use a sexy girl as your brand ambassador, right? Well, we're not sure. It will certainly get the punters thinking about sex but will they then reach for a prophylactic when things get going?
Condom usage in Japan is notoriously low, with men preferring to pull out (and often do a money shot on their partner, particularly their face -- a technique learned from Japanese porn). Obviously, this is not the safest method of having intercourse (and, we presume, for the female partner not the most comfortable way to end things).
So Sagami continues to ...
Japanese condoms are famous for two things: being among the best and thinnest in the world; and for being rarely used by men in Japan, who prefer to finish inside (and then have shotgun weddings), or to emulate porn by pulling out and finishing on the body/face of their partner.
But they were recently in the news for another reason: a curious historical discovery.
Indeed, this condom may well be the oldest one we've seen. Thankfully, it's not still in use.
The Osaka-based Morishita Jintan has been around for 130 years. The pharmaceutical and medical device maker was one of Japan's first ...
Despite having some of the thinnest and best condoms in the world, use of contraception in Japan remains relatively low, resulting in frequent shotgun weddings -- including high-profile celebrities.
As such, Japan's two main condoms brands -- Sagami and Okamoto -- try all sorts of novel marketing campaigns to encourage couples to use their products.
The latest comes from Sagami, known for its 0.01 mm condoms and Keith Haring art condoms. The manufacturer hired gravure idol Airi Shimizu as its twelfth brand ambassador.
The news was announced in mid-December.
Specifically, Shimizu -- a firm ...
Okamoto, creator of the "Zero" range of ultra-thin condoms, has made an online anime series to promote safe sex.
Condom Battler Goro is packed with nods to past animes like Dragon Ball, Pokemon, Fist of the North Star, and Yu-Gi-Oh.
As first reported by Kotaku and SoraNews, the 56-episode series stars a 24-year-old Condom Battler named Goro. Naturally, prophylactics are his arsenal and his particular rubber of choice is the Zero One 0.01mm condom. He gains condom armor when he opens up the Zero One condom foil packet. Goro has an ally, the 24-year-old Hayato, and a girlfriend, 24-year-old ...
Thank you, Japan. Perhaps no other country in the world would produce a pack of condoms quite like this.
Sure, Japanese condoms are famed for their quality and thinness -- particularly the Okamoto Zero One 0.01mm and Sagami 0.01 condoms. There are also funner condoms, such as the Rilakkuma Love-Love Hot Honey Flavor Condoms or these Gundam parody condoms.
Now along comes the Okamoto Danbo Condoms, which are based on the simple yet wildly popular character Danbo (aka Danboard).
The "cardboard robot" first appeared in Kiyohiko Azuma's manga Yotsuba&! but has now spawned its own ...
Japanese condom makers love to do fun stuff like create fun concept products and do serious research into sexual habits.
All this and also producing arguably the thinnest condoms known to man (we say arguably, because there are Chinese challengers).
Well, we would now like to invite you to the Okamoto Condom Training Camp -- ostensibly presented by the titular condom maker responsible for a 0.01mm condom for the benefit of all condom users out there (not so many in Japan, it seems, given the high number of shotgun weddings).
The bizarre promotional video purports to ...
We're almost two years late to this (hey, we were busy blogging other stuff!) but we stumbled upon this funny video of our favorite male AV star, Shimiken, trying out a special "double spiral" condom.
The video is produced by G-Project, which is an adult toy brand and who made the new condom.
It's only in Japanese but you should be able to follow along regardless of your language ability.
The best bit is when he tries on the condom and we see AV actress Michiru Morisaki helping a blindfolded Shimiken try the condom, and then Shimiken has to jerk off to stay erect. We also love ...
Japanese condom advertising is often much more inventive than regular commercials, which typically rely on using ubiquitous celebrities rather than any imagination.
Contraception, on the other hand, employs everything from dinosaur sex to horror movies.
We stumbled upon this Durex condom commercial, which is actually from May 2015. Some people online were saying it was themed around the Kama Sutra (with some added wrestling spice) and had been "banned".
It's pretty awesome.
First off, it's not "banned" but available for all the world to see. The official Durex upload on ...
Condoms in Japan are an underused breed, judging by the rampant venereal disease and unplanned pregnancies.
As such, condom brands try all kinds of wacky campaigns to get young men and women interested in using their products.
This also includes free giveaways. Earlier this year, Tenga gave away complimentary condoms to newly enfranchised voters at the House of Councillors election.
You might be forgiven for thinking that otaku are the demographic with the least need for contraception in their lives, but you would be wrong. That is, if Comiket is to be believed.
A booth at the ...
How do you get people to have safe sex? Well, don't trust the guys to fulfil their end of the bargain, it seems. Instead, get the girls to insist on protection. And communicate to them using their favorite manga characters.
That seems to be the logic behind the latest safe sex campaign in the sexually transmitted infection heaven that is Japan.
Sailor Moon, the manga and anime series popular with girls and young women, has inspired its own series of contraception.
The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has launched a campaign fronted by Naoko Takeuchi's Sailor Moon heroines to ...
