It has long been common to see claims that Japan's age of consent was just 13, which would lead to lazy generalizations that this was why there was so much loli porn.
Of course, in practice, this was never true: local ordinances against lewd actors with minors meant the actual age of consent was typically 18 and on par with (if not higher than) most other countries in the Global North.
It was true, though, that the national age of consent was 13, unchanged since 1907. (For context, age of consent is 14 in Germany, Italy, and China, and 15 in France.)
This has now changed after lawmakers ...
It sparked both hype and controversy, and then just as quickly vanished.
When publisher Shueisha released a digital photo book featuring a fully AI-generated gravure model on May 29, it felt like the tipping point of something.
But then netizens were quick to point out that the "model" Ai Satsuki was uncannily similar to a real-life gravure idol, Hikari Kabashima (previously known as Yui Asakura), suggesting the AI was simply recycling images of Kabashima/Asakura from the Weekly Playboy shoot she did (Shueisha publishes the magazine).
Shueisha responded to the controversy by withdrawing ...
This story has been percolating since early June and has now become a very interesting incident generating national headlines, and with potential implications for future gravure events.
Swimwear photo shoot events in public pools in Saitama have ignited an intense debate. During the events, idols and models gather at the pool for fans to take photographs of them in their swimsuits. Admission to such events is expensive, costing from ¥10,000 to ¥36,000.
Various locals voiced concern to the public parks association in late May about the sexy nature of the gravure-style poses. Local ...
Gropers on trains in Japan are filming their activities and selling them on websites in China, according to an investigation by the BBC.
The recently published report claims that public molestation videos are a growing market, with content sourced from Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China.
Known as chikan in Japan and most common on public transport like crowded trains, groping is a widespread social problem in East Asia. Public awareness of it is very high, with posters at train stations warning people to be vigilant, and even women-only carriages on rush-hour ...
The actress Ryoko Hirosue has been accused of adultery with a famous chef.
In a scoop published by Bunshun this week, photos show the 42-year-old going to a luxury hotel where the 45-year-old chef Shusaku Toba, who runs a restaurant called sio that has a Michelin star, was also staying. The two are already known for being close.
There's an aphorism, often muttered by jaded guys on bar stools between swigs of beer, that it doesn't matter what you look like or even about your personality, hot women will inevitably go to bed with you as long as you're funny, tall, rich, or a successful ...
On May 31, Kyoto police arrested a 37-year-old man who runs a hair salon in the city on suspicion of "quasi-forced indecency."
Teppai Kozaki is accused of forced use of a massager on a woman.
The charge relates to an act allegedly done quite some time ago -- February last year -- in which Kozaki sexually assaulted a female customer in his salon for 40 minutes.
The 24-year-old woman was lying back in a chair to get her hair dyed when Kozaki allegedly started to use a massager on her genitals over her clothes. It is unclear how the victim reacted and whether she attempted to escape but was ...
We've said it before and we'll say it again: we think shunga, erotic woodblock prints, are one of the most impressive and significant parts of Japanese historical culture, and that the government should be singing its praises from the rooftops, instead of trying to hide them and keep people from seeing them under threat of prosecution.
Fortunately, we are no longer alone. Shunga has achieved global success, not least in the form of a very successful art exhibition in Britain in 2013, which belatedly came to Japan in 2015 and attracted huge crowds.
Money talks. Organizers now can point to ...
The latest nude selfies goddess to catch our eye and that of Japanese netizens is a very slinky babe who clearly loves mirrors and revealing costumes.
Her series of sexy selfies feature her slender body in ravishing lingerie, complete with fur and frills. One of the G-strings she wears is so tiny, the string disappears between her shaved labia. We also love the pearls.
She's definitely paipan (fully shaved) downstairs, though also generously includes at least one shot with hair. She's not afraid to take close-ups of her legs spread wide.
Her wardrobe of costumes is evidently quite ...
Japan is a great nation of customizers, adapters, and modifiers. You can see it in the cuisine, which is often a fusion of different influences and turned into something new.
It's also evident in various subcultures.
Though original content is common too, Doujinshi (privately printed/bound magazines and manga) are sometimes a type of fan fiction, where people make their own versions of popular professional manga and anime.
Cosplay is similarly derivative. Fans dress up as their favorite characters and put a new spin on the franchise.
But when does derivation go too far? When it's ...
How to turn Japanese women on? Or even, how to turn just any women on?
This is a question that keeps us up at night.
Fortunately, there's plenty of advice out there if you know where to look.
And one such source of pearls of sexual wisdom has been added to the mix in the form of this new YouTube video.
Over the course of roughly 12 and a half minutes, the male and female hosts share five tips. It's in a mix of Japanese and English, but with English subtitles throughout.
The video is made by standup comedian Meshida and Eri Natsume, a sex counselor who has recently begun posting online ...
