"Why have young people in Japan stopped having sex?"

[TopWargamer]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/oct/20/young-people-japan-stopped-having-sex

 

This is a long write up, so quoting some of it won't do any good. Just read through all or most of the article. Very excellent write up, and hopefully the Japanese people can well uh...reproduce to keep their nation going. 

 

PLEASE READ!!!

 

The Guardian's article has been found to be incorrect in quite a few ways. To know more, go here: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/68392-the-guardian-was-wrong-about-sex-in-japan-heres-whats-really-going-on/

[ThunderShark]

Well this caught me off guard.

[TheSLSAMG]

Erm... This caught me.

[TheMail]

I go there quite frequently... and they definitely have sex there lol

[orangecat]

I didn't actually read is because I'm lazy butt he girl in the first image has like the weirdest eyes.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

I didn't actually read is because I'm lazy butt he girl in the first image has like the weirdest eyes.

 

You're the best man, that made my day.

[Vitalius]

Just saying, this is coming to all developed nation's at some point. I believe sincerely that technology, phones, and the internet are making people less social. This might have little to nothing to do with Japan's problem.

However, I believe it can, and probably does. In that it exacerbates it (makes it worse) even if it isn't the cause. I think the fact that in the article her (the counselor being interviewed) mentioning that some of her clients are recluses (shut-ins) gives credence to this. 

And the reason I think it might be most prominent in Japan is because Japan has all the situational aspects to make it that much worse. Because it's a small country, it is quick to urbanize. It is technologically advanced even in comparison to other developed nations. It's conservative background regarding marriage and families (like it mentions in the article) adds to this as well.

I think this will start to happen everywhere as cities grow and technology becomes more prevalent (particularly the internet). 

Humans naturally desire companionship, but at the same time the internet and technology are making it so we go longer in our lives without interacting with others and so we don't know how anymore.

I think there are movies/anime about this very thing. Where people learn to reconnect or something outside of the digital world after living in it for so long. That is probably going to become reality eventually. 

It makes me sad. Because tbh, I am one of those people she spoke of in regards to being a recluse/shut-in. I have desires (not particularly sexual) to "be" with people. To have friends, family, and the like. However, I grew up on video games. Technology and the internet is where 90% of my time is spent both for work and pleasure (anime/video games). I don't know how to socialize. The true, 100% real, answer is to "just do it". But that answer isn't good enough for my analytical mind and so I feel overwhelmed by the daunting task of actually talking to people. 

There are a lot of things in life that have that answer. "Just do it." Changing yourself is one of them. I'm good at that, but only when it comes to things I can understand why the answer is that answer. Socializing isn't one of them. I don't know how to talk to other people because the question of "Ok, what do I say next?" never, ever, ever, ever has an answer I feel comfortable with. And that's how I think. In question->answer form. Otherwise I can't act. Unless I simply don't think at all, but then I feel vulnerable and afraid. Even then, I feel that's necessary in certain situations, but my natural thought process isn't good for socializing, and I don't feel like not thinking is the right answer either. So I'm stuck with no answer.

It's really complicated. But that's my view on it. I understand I am different from the type of people having this problem in Japan as they simply aren't interested in long term relationships but I think the reason I lack the ability to socialize (or simply the constitution to utilize said ability), and at least part of the reason they aren't interested in such relationships are one in the same. 

We don't have the experience with long term companionship to understand and realize it's worth, so we have no desire to seek it. Our parents and every human before us did, but we don't. 

... No TL;DR. Please read this if you care what I think at all.

[Mooshi]

A nation as perverted as Japan no longer interested in sex?

 

IMPOSSIBRU!

[Vitalius]

A nation as perverted as Japan no longer interested in sex?

 

IMPOSSIBRU!

... ?

They are no longer interested in sex with real people and babies.

Anime and such have little to nothing to do with that.

[Art Vandelay]

I've heard about this before. They're really missing out; casual sex is fun.

[Vitalius]

Completely agree with you Vitalius. Noting what you've said, I wouldn't say you'd be a bad person to talk to..id say in fact you'd be very interesting to talk to. Some times we over analyse our world and ourselves and that creates in us a mindset. That mindset isn't necessarily the real person we are. Socialization sometimes its innate, there a people who as they say are the life of the crowd. People are sometimes naturally confident, others need to have a measure of this. Your not a shut in or anti-social, because you have those desires to be social..so its just a matter or getting and achieving that desire.  

 

You need to try and not structure a sentence or a conversation, sometimes you don't have to say anything. Remember, the person your talking to probably is as nervous as you. I spent a large part of my childhood meeting total strangers. Im a quiet person, shy, lack confidence. If you take an interest in some one else than that distracts from yourself and thinking about things to say..and a conversation will flow. Its really as simple as that.

 

The internet has deeply harmed the social aspect of our lives. As they say, everyone's connected but no ones connecting. In regards to Japan, I believe alot of it has to do with work commitments and fear of the future. Japanese people work long hours and perhaps having the time to raise a family just doesn't fit into peoples desire to secure there own futures first. Its really messed up thinking this but we have lost what it really means to be a human family, what it means to live on this planet. I dont believe we are meant to live in filthy, congested cities. Isolated from each other even when on a packed train.

Thanks. Probably the thing that has helped me most is that very realization. That they are probably as nervous as I am. That the people who do the things that you think "wow, how can they do that?" probably feel the exact same way you do, nervous, unsure, etc, but still do it anyway (socialize, succeed, public speaking in general etc). 

Just a thought for the Otakus out there, I can see Vandread actually happening if we don't find a solution to this issue in our society. 

Vandread is a Mech anime about two human races. One Female, the other male. I say "races" because they are literally and completely separate. They use technology exclusively to have children. They don't speak the same language in any form. They live on two different planets. This is because the human race's government decided to split the race a long long long time ago, to the point that such a split was long forgotten.

Naturally, the females have a more family oriented society (in that they are more nurturing/community driven and the like) where as the males have a more independent society.

The most interesting part is that they are at war with one another. Each side demonizes the other, literally portraying them as some vile monster. Since it's space warfare/mech combat, each side hardly ever comes into contact with the other physically. They never see each other. Just war against one another.

Well, that is the relevant part of the story and that's the backdrop of the anime. Basically the main character is a male who is captured by some female pirates and begins to close the gap between the two warring planets by way of showing his human brethren that the women aren't monsters, in which case the woman he falls in love with (inevitably) on the ship does the same for the woman's side. 

A lot of stuff happens between that point and the beginning, but you get the idea. It was a pretty good anime. Lots of ecchi (pervertedness) though, but that is because sexualization is literally a part of the story, so I guess it's a given.

Most of the anime is about fighting some third party that uses the humans for food or something similar. Sort of like the plot of Mass Effect, but in that the enemy is very unknown in it's mission. It harvests humans for something (food or technological/biological advancement, I don't remember). 

Somehow, the primary mech is only activated by both a male and female human piloting it at the same time. Depending on the female (since there's only 1 male on the ship), it takes different forms. Kinda cool but for whatever reason (probably just for fan enjoyment), the two individuals are put into awkward positions while in the mech. Like... almost sexual positions. 

Which is what leads to them becoming more comfortable with one another. Interestingly enough.

The reason the mech does this is because it is a fusion of the women and men's fighters. The Vanguards (males) and the Dreadnaughts (females) IIRC, thus the name "Vandread". So when they need extra power, depending on what type of power they need, the male's Vanguard fuses with a females Dreadnaught, and since both only have 1 pilot seat, both the male and female have to sit in the same seat. ... Usually one in the other's lap.  

There's one exception, but yeah. I think you get the idea.

[Focux]

I've heard about this before. They're really missing out; casual sex is fun.

That coming from a virgin? hehehe

No offense brah*

[Art Vandelay]

That coming from a virgin? hehehe

No offense brah*

hahaha... no.

[Le Reaper]

A nation as perverted as Japan no longer interested in sex?

 

IMPOSSIBRU!

[Art Vandelay]

[Canoas]

Another study found that a third of people under 30 had never dated at all.

As expected, 10 year olds are incapable of finding girlfriends.

[Canoas]

Aoyama cites one man in his early 30s, a virgin, who can't get sexually aroused unless he watches female robots on a game similar to Power Rangers.

 

....

 

 

 

 

 

HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHHA WTF IS THIS?!?!!? oh god, I'm laughing so badly right now

[Jaybird]

so your saying that there a lot of young Japanese women who are single. I still have a change!

[Ookami]

 I still have a change!

You mean "chance"?

 

Well if youd go to Japan youd be (propably) labeled as "Ikemen" which means handsome. Japanese girls love "gaijins" (i know i know its in bad term, but f-u ) as long as they look like a human. Problem is dudes dressing up as girls and age of girls is main problem. Adult in Japan is 21 not 18

 

Also i wouldnt mind taking some "poor lonely" japanese girls

[orangecat]

You're the best man, that made my day.

=D

[Canoas]

so your saying that there a lot of young Japanese women who are single. I still have a change!

The whole point of the article is not that they are single, is that they want to be single. If people didn't want to be single then the problem could be fixed very easily, but they do.

[Jaybird]

You mean "chance"?

 

Well if youd go to Japan youd be (propably) labeled as "Ikemen" which means handsome. Japanese girls love "gaijins" (i know i know its in bad term, but f-u ) as long as they look like a human. Problem is dudes dressing up as girls and age of girls is main problem. Adult in Japan is 21 not 18

 

Also i wouldnt mind taking some "poor lonely" japanese girls

haha yeah, chance. I had a small paragraph written but deleted it and left that phrase. I know some of those words cause I watched F&F: Tokyo Drift. I am 21 sooo....

[Jaybird]

The whole point of the article is not that they are single, is that they want to be single. If people didn't want to be single then the problem could be fixed very easily, but they do.

They just havent met me yet. I mean look at my beard!

[Ookami]

haha yeah, chance. I had a small paragraph written but deleted it and left that phrase. I know some of those words cause I watched F&F: Tokyo Drift. I am 21 sooo....

I meant it about japanese girls as adult or near. You may mistake a highschool girl with older one and then expect father with a katana on way to you

Tokyo Drift is a fairytale. Like they would a "gaijin" that easy into their world...

 

What you know from that movie? Gaijin and Wabaki? 95% of the movie they speak english...

[Jaybird]

I meant it about japanese girls as adult or near. You may mistake a highschool girl with older one and then expect father with a katana on way to you

Tokyo Drift is a fairytale. Like they would a "gaijin" that easy into their world...

 

What you know from that movie? Gaijin and Wabaki? 95% of the movie they speak english...

 

haha dont worry I know the difference between IRL and a movie fairy tale. any who im not a big fan of these "little" girls or girls that look like they are in highschool cause they are slow at maturing. I want a woman! I dont mind someone older or younger, I just dont want someone who is still acting like they are in highschool.