Evolution of Japan's Sex Industry: Historical Perspectives

Japan's liberal attitude toward sexuality, rooted in history, has fostered a thriving sex industry, including a prominent prostitution sector.

### The Evolution of Japan's Sex Industry: From Historical Tolerance to Modern Prostitution
* 🇯🇵 Japan's sex industry is notable for its extensive development, particularly in the **adult video (AV) sector**, which is among the **highest globally**.
* 📚 The liberal attitude of the Japanese people towards sex has been a **fundamental condition for the industry's growth**, rooted in their rich cultural history, including **explicit themes in mythology and literature**.
* 📖 A prime example is "The Tale of Genji," which explores **complex sexual relationships**, reflecting the historical **tolerance towards sexuality in Japan** compared to more conservative societies.
* 🏛 The Edo period marked a significant expansion of the prostitution industry, driven by the **sankin-kotai system** that increased the **demand for sexual services** among local lords and their attendants.
* 💰 The government sanctioned brothels, known as yukaku, which became an integral part of daily life, leading to **widespread acceptance of prostitution without guilt or shame**.
* 🚨 Despite the introduction of the **Anti-Prostitution Law in 1956**, prostitution remains prevalent due to legal loopholes that allow businesses to operate under the guise of **legitimate services**.
* 🎨 The acceptance of prostitution has fostered the growth of other sexual industries, including **adult manga and animation**, which emerged from historical practices like **ukiyo-e** and were further propelled by **government demands during wartime**.
* 📈 Overall, the evolution of Japan's sex industry illustrates a **complex interplay of historical tolerance, government regulation, and cultural acceptance**, enabling it to **thrive in contemporary society**.

When we think of Japan, we cannot overlook the well-developed sex industry. Unlike our country, certain aspects of the sex-related industry have developed on a massive scale. The AV (adult video) industry and various other sex-related industries are almost at the world's highest level. It is hard for us to imagine, but in Japan, adult magazines are prominently displayed in convenience stores and supermarkets, making it easy to encounter sex-related content in everyday life. So today, let's explore how Japan's sex industry has developed to such an extent. 

First of all, for the sex industry to thrive, people must have a liberal attitude towards sex. This is quite obvious, right? The open-mindedness of the Japanese people towards sex has been a fundamental condition for the industry's development. Historically, the Japanese have been quite open about sexuality. If we trace the cultural remnants left by their ancestors, we can confirm that the Japanese have a rich and unique history regarding this topic.

First of all, it may seem trivial, but we can find such things in Japanese mythology. In our country's mythology, we have wholesome stories like a tiger drinking in a cave. In contrast, Japanese mythology is filled with sexual content. I can't introduce each of these in detail, but to give you an idea of how explicit it is, Japanese mythology is recorded in a historical text called the Nihon Shoki. In the early Meiji period, a British scholar studying in Japan translated the Nihon Shoki and introduced it to his country, only for the British people to misunderstand it as an erotic novel rather than a historical text. It's similar to treating the Bible as a fantasy novel. Anyway, Japanese mythology contains unreserved sexual content from its ancient roots, and this tendency is also reflected in Japanese literature. The greatest masterpiece of Japanese classical literature is regarded as...

겐지모노 가타리의 좋은 예시입니다. 주인공 겐지가 여러 여자와 관계를 맺고 나서 얻은 깨달음이 주 내용을 이루는데, 문제는 이 관계를 맺은 여자들입니다. 겐지가 관계를 맺은 여자 중에는 황실 귀족, 평범한 계급의 모르는 여자가 있는가 하면, 심지어 계모, 숙모와 같은 친인척 관계의 여자들까지도 여럿 있었습니다. 이 작품은 일본에서 고전 소설의 최고 걸작이라는 평을 받는 동시에 외설 문학 장르를 개척했다고 평가받습니다. 그 이후로 외설 문학이 쏟아져 나오죠. 이는 작가가 여성임에도 불구하고 당대 작가로서 뛰어난 재능을 인정받았는데, 그에 비해 조선 사회는 엄격했습니다. 조선 후기 정조는 연한 박지원에게 소설 '열하일기'에 문장이 불순하다는 이유로 '열하일기'를 옛날 한문체로 다시 고쳐 쓰라고 요구하는데, 그런 면에서 당시 조선보다 일본이 더 자유로운 것 같죠.

Anyway, the development of Japanese erotic literature is a clear indication of the tolerant attitude of the Japanese towards sexuality. This tolerance is not only evident in ancient myths and literature but has also been reflected in various cultural practices. Compared to other countries, Japan had particularly explicit representations of sexuality, such as the culture of shared bathing between men and women, the practice of a man visiting a woman's home at night to engage in relations before proposing, and the legal system that allowed for easy divorce with just a single document. These aspects reveal the open sexual culture of the Japanese people in the past, which thrived during the Edo period and continued through the modern Meiji era. Historically, the open sexual culture and social climate have had a lasting impact on contemporary Japanese society. However, this only partially conveys that past Japanese people were relatively tolerant towards sexuality and does not fully explain the developed sex industry in modern Japan.

It is difficult to explain, but what has had the greatest influence on the sexual attitudes and sex industry of modern Japanese people? It is indeed prostitution. In fact, prostitution is at the pinnacle of the sex industry, isn't it? Conversely, if people can accept prostitution, which is at the peak of the sex industry, without any discomfort, it implies that they can also naturally accept other aspects of the sex industry. If that happens, the entire sex industry will become vibrant. Prostitution has indeed made the sexual awareness of modern Japanese people more liberated and has laid the foundation for Japan's world-class sex industry, which is significant. So, let's now take a look at how prostitution, which is the first thread in the tapestry of the Japanese sex industry, has been accepted so naturally by the Japanese people. When we examine the history of prostitution in Japan, we find it very interesting that there is a decisive difference compared to our country.

In Japan, the government officially managed and supervised brothels, which is something that could never happen in the four great domains of Joseon. The prostitution industry in Japan began to flourish during the Edo period, which corresponds to the Joseon era in our country. Of course, there were some such establishments before the Edo period, but they were minimal. However, once the Edo period began, the scale of the prostitution industry noticeably expanded. So, why did the prostitution industry suddenly become active during the Edo period? There are several reasons, but the most direct one is the sankin-kotai system. The sankin-kotai system refers to the practice where the lords of each domain would alternate living in Edo and their own regions every year to show loyalty to the shogun. It’s a bit complicated, but if we apply it to our context, it would be like the governors or mayors representing each region.

Every year, at a specific time, the king would go to a certain area and live there for a few months before returning to his own region for a few months. This system, where local lords alternate between the capital and their regions, is referred to as the System of Alternating Residence. But why did the local lords have to go back and forth, which must have been exhausting? The reason was to weaken local finances and curb the power of the lords. In reality, it's not easy; to walk from their region to the capital every year, it would take about a month on average, depending on the region. Since it takes such a long time to travel, they must carefully check where they can stay along the way before starting their journey. Additionally, since the local lord is walking a long distance, they also need to assemble attendants to accompany them. Just thinking about it, it sounds like it would cost a lot of money, considering the expenses for a month-long walking trip, including the costs for attendants and accommodation.

When considering food expenses, doesn't it feel overwhelming? According to the data, a staggering 4,000 personnel were mobilized for the procession of Gagahan. The reason for mobilizing such a large number of attendants was not that they were actually needed, but rather to showcase to others that we are doing better than other regions. In fact, when passing through crowded areas, they would walk slowly and confidently to display their grandeur. However, when passing through less populated areas, they would rush to minimize costs, which is quite amusing. But it's not just the expenses for going; there are also costs for returning, right? Moreover, the living expenses during the stay had to be covered by each local government. Therefore, if we convert the cost incurred for a single shift of attendants into today's money, it is estimated to be around 400 million yen, which was the amount each local government had to manage at that time.

It is said that about one-third of the population was involved in crime, and the original purpose of worsening the conditions of each domain was well realized to prevent resistance against the shogunate. But what is the connection between this alternating duty system and the prostitution industry? Previously, it was mentioned that the alternating duty system involved hundreds or thousands of attendants following the feudal lords to Edo. Most of these attendants were samurai, meaning they were predominantly male. With hundreds or thousands of men staying together for over a month, the demand for sexual gratification soared. Consequently, the inns and restaurants where this massive procession paused began to incorporate prostitution into their businesses. This form of prostitution spread rapidly. Additionally, when the male procession arrived in Edo, the male-to-female ratio in the city increased significantly. Therefore, even in the early 18th century, the population was predominantly male.

The ratio approached 70%, and as the situation escalated, sexual issues such as sexual crimes and public indecency frequently occurred in Edo. To address this, the shogunate officially recognized the yukaku, which refers to government-sanctioned brothels. The shogunate established yukaku in Edo, as well as in Kyoto and Osaka, marking the beginning of the public brothel system in Japanese history. The term public brothel means that courtesans were officially managed. Hungry men, driven by desire, flocked to the yukaku, and there, feudal lords often squandered their wealth once again. During this era, the number of public brothels gradually increased, leading to the emergence of private brothels as well. The previously mentioned lodging establishments and restaurants served as private brothels, and, by the way, bathhouses were also very popular.

The prostitution industry, which has thrived since ancient times, has spread nationwide without any particular sense of guilt or shame. This is because, in a situation where the government manages and supervises the brothels, why would there be any feelings of guilt or embarrassment? Thus, not only adult men but also minors frequently visited these establishments to broaden their horizons. In 1823, a Dutch doctor named Ten Volt, who arrived in Japan, later remarked in The Travels of Edo that the pleasure quarters in Japan are places that are indispensable to daily life, much like restaurants. Even during the day, Japanese people swagger in and out of brothels as if they were visiting coffee shops. This illustrates the intense and heated atmosphere of the time. However, in exchange for this, Japan experienced a significant outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases. According to records from that time, 30% of the total population in Japan was affected.

It is said that he contracted syphilis. Sugita Genpaku, a famous doctor during the Edo period, stated that 70% to 80% of my patients have syphilis. At that time, sexually transmitted diseases were widespread throughout the country. The development of prostitution and the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases marked the passage of time. The Edo period came to an end, and the Meiji government took over. How did the Meiji government respond to prostitution? They upgraded it. The Meiji government abolished the brothel system of the Edo period and introduced modern public brothel systems. In simple terms, they maintained the public brothel system like in the Edo period but updated it by implementing regular sexually transmitted disease screenings for prostitutes. Just like in the Edo period, prostitution continued to receive government support and protection during the Meiji era. When a British journalist asked whether they would continue to maintain the brothel system, Ito, a senior official of the Meiji government, responded.

Hirobumi answered that he did not want to abolish the licensed prostitution system, which earned him cheers from the men. This reflects the government's attitude toward Confucianism at the time. In fact, Ito Hirobumi's wife was also from a high-class geisha background. However, the Meiji government did not simply maintain the brothel system out of concern for men's sexual desires. There was a very barbaric sense of purpose behind it. As soon as the Meiji government came to power, they wanted to rush into modernization, just like the Western powers. To modernize, they needed to lay railroads and roads nationwide and establish modern factories, which required a lot of money. The problem was that they did not have enough funds. Therefore, the Meiji government decided to send women working in the brothels abroad. They urged these women to sell their bodies for the sake of the nation and praised them as the yellow female soldiers of the country, encouraging other women to follow suit. As a result, many Japanese women were pushed to leave for foreign lands.

However, there were also many Japanese women who were forcibly trafficked. Women who went abroad to sell their bodies and earn foreign currency were referred to as karayuki. The money earned by karayuki became an important resource for Japan's modernization. According to the history of overseas compatriots, in the 33rd year of the Meiji era, the amount remitted by overseas compatriots in the Siberian region to Japan was about 1 million yen, of which 630,000 yen was attributed to remittances from karayuki. Additionally, an interview article published in the Fukuoka Nichinichi Shimbun revealed that women from four villages in Shimabara, Japan, sent more than 12,000 yen to their parents and siblings back home just last year. There are countless other examples as well. Thanks to this, the Japanese government, which was struggling with a small deficit, was able to significantly accumulate primitive capital through the money earned by karayuki abroad, which played a major role in the process of modernization.

The public prostitution system in Japan continued until 1945, when Japan was defeated in World War II. In other words, from the Edo period until the defeat in World War II, the Japanese government directly managed and supervised brothels. However, in 1946, the Japanese government abolished the public prostitution system and enacted the Anti-Prostitution Law in 1956, which began regulating sex work. From that point on, prostitution officially became illegal in Japan. But was this law effective? Not really. This was due to a law known as the Fūkeihō, which recognizes the act of entertaining customers in private rooms in response to their sexual curiosity as a legitimate profession. In simple terms, while the Anti-Prostitution Law makes prostitution illegal, the Fūkeihō allows for the catering to customers' sexual curiosity without it being classified as prostitution.

The statement means that providing sexual services in a different, healthier form is legal. This implies that jobs offering sexual services that are not classified as prostitution are recognized. When we talk about healthy forms of sexual services, it could refer to things like providing massages or other similar services. However, this creates a situation where businesses can outwardly appear legitimate while engaging in prostitution behind the scenes. In fact, this is what happened in Japan. For this reason, despite the establishment of the Prostitution Prevention Law in 1956, the prostitution industry did not decline. Nevertheless, technically speaking, prostitution itself is illegal. Since the Prostitution Prevention Law was enacted in 1956, prostitution has openly occurred in Japan's red-light districts, and it still does today. Isn't that a bit strange? No matter how many loopholes there are in the law, it still seems contradictory.

When prostitution is caught, there are punishments, yet, both in the past and present, it is still openly occurring. There are reasons for this, though. When prostitution is exposed, the establishments often defend themselves by saying that while they were cleaning ears or giving massages, a romantic feeling blossomed between a young customer and a young employee, leading them to form a relationship. They argue, Why is that considered prostitution? The money we received from the customer was for the massage, not for sexual relations. This is truly an unbeatable logic. When they defend themselves like this, there is really nothing to say. For this reason, the police tend to overlook such cases. Even though prostitution is clearly illegal, the red-light district and sex industry in Japan have managed to survive and thrive from the past to the present, despite being the industry that people feel the most discomfort about, continuing to exist so openly.

In a situation where acceptance is granted, how is other sexual industries used? It would probably thrive excessively. In Japan, there has been a unique painting technique called ukiyo-e since ancient times, which produced a flood of highly explicit erotic paintings. Interestingly, this production technique laid the foundation for the emergence of modern manga and animation. Adult-oriented manga appeared as a branch of manga and gained immense popularity. The emergence of animation is quite intriguing. During World War II, the Japanese government pressured creators to produce animations to boost the national will for war. In line with government demands, animations officially appeared and were broadcasted, depicting content that praised the attack on Pearl Harbor and portrayed Americans as demons. Following the official emergence of animation, it also branched out like manga, leading to the production and distribution of adult animations.

We begin. After that, various adult DVDs, including those from the AV industry, were mass-produced and sold, and even adult magazines were placed on the shelves of convenience stores and supermarkets. The reason all of this happened so swiftly is that the Japanese people did not feel a sense of rejection towards the sex industry itself. The biggest influence that made this possible was the prostitution industry. If you are used to spicy peppers, then Shin Ramyeon is nothing, right? It's a similar principle. Today, we explored how the Japanese sex industry was able to develop. If you found the content informative, please subscribe and like. Thank you, this was Knowledge Merchant.

일본은 어떻게 성산업이 발전할 수 있었을까? 성매매 불법인데 왜 대놓고 할까?

지식보부상

Japan's sex industry is highly developed, with the AV industry and sex-related businesses at a global peak.

The country's liberal attitude towards sex, rooted in historical and cultural practices, has been fundamental to the industry's growth.

Japanese mythology and literature have explicit sexual content, reflecting a long-standing open-mindedness towards sexuality, which has continued to influence contemporary society.

The Impact of Prostitution on Modern Japanese Sexual Attitudes

Prostitution has played a pivotal role in shaping the sexual attitudes and sex industry of modern Japanese people, leading to a more liberated sexual awareness.

The Japanese government officially managed and supervised brothels, which was a significant difference from other countries.

The prostitution industry flourished during the Edo period, driven by the sankin-kotai system, where local lords alternated living in Edo and their regions, ultimately weakening their power and finances.

The Impact of the Gagahan Procession on Edo's Prostitution Industry

A large number of personnel were mobilized for the Gagahan procession to showcase superiority, with their slow walking in crowded areas and rushing in less populated ones to minimize costs.

The financial burden of the attendants' shifts was around 400 million yen for each local government, while the male-dominated group staying together for over a month led to a surge in demand for sexual services, resulting in the rapid spread of prostitution.

The shogunate's response to the escalating sexual issues was the establishment of government-sanctioned brothels (yukaku) in Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka, marking the beginning of the public brothel system in Japanese history.

The Prostitution Industry in Japan: From Edo to Meiji

The prostitution industry in Japan has thrived since ancient times, with government management leading to a lack of guilt or shame.

The Edo period saw a significant outbreak of sexually transmitted diseases, affecting 30% of the population.

The Meiji government abolished the brothel system but continued to support it, implementing regular disease screenings and even sending women abroad to work in prostitution for the nation's modernization.

The Impact of Karayuki and Japan's Prostitution Laws

Karayuki, Japanese women trafficked abroad for sex work, played a significant role in Japan's modernization by sending back remittances.

The Japanese government managed brothels until 1945, then abolished the public prostitution system and enacted the Anti-Prostitution Law in 1956.

Despite the law, prostitution continued to thrive in Japan, exploiting loopholes and offering sexual services under the guise of legitimate businesses.

The Resilience of Prostitution and the Sex Industry in Japan

Prostitution, despite being illegal, has thrived in Japan due to establishments' clever defenses and the police's tendency to overlook cases.

The industry's survival is linked to a historical acceptance of erotic art, which laid the foundation for modern manga and animation.

The government's pressure during World War II further propelled the creation of adult-oriented content, leading to the mass production and distribution of adult DVDs and magazines.