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{{Short description|none}}
{{refimprove|date=August 2009}}
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'''Pornography in Japan''' is large and intertwined business of adult entertainment with unique characteristics that readily distinguish it from western ]. Reflective of its views on ] and ], Japanese pornography delves into a wide spectrum of ], ], and ] sexual acts in addition to unique fetishes and philias.
{{EngvarB|date=July 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
] in a Japanese rental shop, 2008]]
] on shelves in Japan, 2009]]
] ] in Japan, 2014]]
In Japan, ] has unique characteristics that readily distinguish it from western pornography.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Malamuth|first1=Neil|last2=Donnerstein|first2=Edward|authorlink2=Edward Donnerstein|title=Pornography and Sexual Aggression|date=1984|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-12-466280-3|pages=173–183}}</ref> Pornographic films are known as "{{ill|adult videos|ja|アダルトビデオ}}" (AV) in Japan, so Japanese adult videos (JAV) refers to the ] industry. Animated films are referred to as '']'' in English, but in Japan the terms "{{ill|adult anime|ja|アダルトアニメ}}" and "{{ill|erotic animation|ja|エロティック・アニメーション}}" (or ''ero anime'') are used. In addition to pornographic videos and magazines featuring live actors, there are now categories of pornographic ] and ]{{Efn|animated depictions of sexual activity}} (i.e., ''hentai''), and pornographic computer games ('']''; for both PC and game consoles).


Reflecting Japan's views on ] and ], Japanese pornography delves into a wide spectrum of ], ], and ] sexual acts in addition to unique ] and ]s. Starting with erotic stories and ] from before the 20th century, Japanese pornography evolved into distinct subcategories. Partly under attempts to circumvent Japanese laws regarding ], but also to cater to particular fetishes, actors and producers often feature subject matter that in western pornography had historically been unseen or rarely depicted, and even now is less frequently featured; ] (group ejaculation), ] (consuming semen), ] (needing to urinate), and ] are a few uniquely Japanese genres of erotica. ] (young girls), ] (young boys), and their contribution to the controversy regarding the ] has been a major issue concerning ], free speech, and ] both inside and outside Japan.
Historically and culturally, the nude depiction of the human body and certain bodily functions are not taboo so what can be described as pornography is in a constant state of flux. Starting with erotic stories and woodblock prints from before the 20th century, Japanese pornography evolved into distinct subcategories with the media. In addition of pornographic videos and magazines featuring live actors, there is exist category of pornographic ] (within Japanese comics), pornographic computer games (for both PC and game consoles), and pornographic ] (animated depictions sexual activity).
By Japanese law, the genitals of actors and actresses must be censored. This type of censoring also extends to comics, video games, and anime made for adults. In the attempts of circumvent this type of censoring (and to cater to particular fetishes), actors and producers have featured subject matter unseen or rarely depicted in western pornography. ], ], ], and ] are few uniquely Japanese genres known to western viewers. ] and its contribution to the controversy regarding the ] that don’t exist has been a major issue for free speech in and outside of Japan.


The ] from the early 20th century has provisions against ''indecent material'', so any lawfully produced pornography must censor the genitals of actors and actresses; this type of censorship also extends to the graphics of ] manga, video games, and anime. Up until the mid-1990s, any depiction of pubic hair was also censored. Anuses are only censored at contact or penetration. Breasts and nipples are not censored. ] is commonly used to follow the censorship guidelines without being too obvious.


==History== ==History==

===Before the 20th century=== ===Before the 20th century===
] or pornographic wood-block pictures were printed with all imaginable situations. The actual uses of shunga in the period are still debated, but probably resembled modern uses of pornographic materials, including ] and shared viewing with a lover. Several notable woodblock artists to produce this and their creations were ]'s ''], Lesbian'' and ''Two Lovers'' as well as ]'s ''Client Lubricating a Prostitute.'' One of the most well-known collection of Shunga can be seen in ]'s 1850 work ''A Bedside Guide to the Colours of Love in Spring.''
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2009}}
] or pornographic wood-block pictures were printed with all imaginable situations. These often took the form of a book with sentences to describe verbal utterances of the partners, as well as to offer brief descriptions of a scene.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Near the end of the Edo period when foreigners became widely known and seen, even sex acts with foreign males were drawn and sold, not to mention ], demons (both male (]) and female (])), and deities.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} The actual uses of shunga in the period are still debated, but probably resembled modern uses of pornographic materials, including ] and shared viewing with a lover.


After the ] in the second half of the 19th century, the publication of pornographic materials declined under government pressure. Yet even as Shunga production slowed, shunga were being exported and peddled as "erotic arts" to foreign markets.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Pornographic novels were still produced underground, though the language barrier prevented them from becoming widely known abroad. Pornographic arts (now including photography) were still produced, but these came to be viewed as low arts.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} After the ] in the second half of the 19th century, the publication of pornographic materials declined under government pressure.


===In the 20th century=== ===In the 20th century===
In the late ] and early ], an artistic movement called '']'', literally "erotic-grotesque-nonsense", occurred influenced by decadent works of Europe. Open sexual expressions were permitted in novels and '']'' but a strict control was applied on photographs and films.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Geerinck|first1=Jan Willem|title=Ero guro nansensu (erotic-grotesque-nonsense)|url=http://www.jahsonic.com/EroGuro.html|website=Jahsonic|access-date=18 October 2017}}</ref> After ], the law against 'obscenity', Article 175, was the only official censorship law that remained in force.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://redsiglo21.com/eiga9/articulos/obscenity.html |title=Obscenity and Article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code: A Short Introduction to Japanese Censorship |last1=da Silva |first1=Joaquín |date=21 April 2009 |website=redsiglo21.com |publisher=Cine Japonés |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715165520/http://redsiglo21.com/eiga9/articulos/obscenity.html |archive-date=15 July 2011 }}</ref> During the ], which lasted until 1952, all forms of sexually explicit material were prohibited in the country. American forces occupying Japan imposed Western ideas of morality and law. The Japanese public slowly came to adopt some of these ideas and practices. Negative views foreign to Japanese culture about pornography were accepted and applied to visual depictions as they were the ones most likely recognized and thereby criticized by Westerners. As a result, once the occupation forces left, the Japanese government kept the ban on sexually explicit material in place until the late 1980s; images or depictions of frontal nudity were banned, as well as pictures of pubic hair or genitals. No sex act could be depicted graphically. ] was outlawed in Japan in 1958.<ref name="auto">{{cite journal|url= http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/biblio/articles/1961to1999/1999-pornography-rape-sex-crimes-japan.html|first=Milton|last=Diamond|title=Pornography, Rape, and Sex Crimes in Japan|journal=International Journal of Law and Psychiatry |publisher=University of Hawaii|date=22 January 1999|volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=1–22 |doi=10.1016/s0160-2527(98)00035-1 |pmid=10086287 |accessdate=21 February 2022}}</ref>
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2009}}
In the late ] and early ], an artistic movement called ''],'' literally "erotic-grotesque-nonsense", occurred influenced by decadence works of Europe. These words were used because they had an air of a new and modern feeling. Until the 1950s, pornography were still very limited in production.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Open sexual expressions were permitted in novels and ''],'' but a strict control was applied on photographs and films. During ], pornographic materials were banned altogether: "Since the end of the Second World War Article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code, known as the obscenity law, has represented the only official restriction on freedom of expression, which is nevertheless guaranteed by Article 21 of the 1947 Constitution."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://redsiglo21.com/eiga9/articulos/obscenity.html |title=Obscenity and Article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code: A Short Introduction to Japanese Censorship |last1= da Silva |first1=Joaquín |date=21 April 2009 |publisher=redsiglo21.com/eiga9: Cine Japonés}}</ref>


Influenced by magazines like ''],'' pornographic magazines were printed soon after World War II. These magazines quickly branched out to cover all genres and featured pornographic novels as well as pictures. ''Playboy'' itself, however, did not succeed in Japan.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Its articles were about the ]; women were mostly non-Asian, interviews were with people largely unknown in Japan, and fashion and sport were American. Instead, it spawned a fetish and a genre known as ''Yomono'', literally "Western things". ''Playboy'' revamped its articles and style in the early 2000s in Japan by having Japanese writers write exclusively about Japan and dropping most of the original content.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Influenced by magazines such as '']'', pornographic magazines were printed soon after World War II. ''Playboy''{{'}}s articles being about ], women being mostly non-Asian, interviews being with people largely unknown in Japan, and fashion and sport being American spawned a fashion for a genre known as ''yōmono'' (literally "Western things").<ref>{{cite thesis|type=Ph.D.|url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/116708/maiku_1.pdf|title=Sex Every Afternoon: Pink Film and the Body of Pornographic Cinema in Japan|last=Arnold|first=Michael John|year=2015|publisher=University of Michigan}}</ref>


In the early 1960s, several movie studios began producing "]s," to be exclusively viewed in adults-only movie theaters.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} With censorship laws prohibiting genitals from being seen but otherwise free to express anything, these movies quickly diversified to fill all genres, including rape and bondage. Throughout the 1960s, the "pink films" were mainly produced by low-budget, independent filmmakers such as ]. In 1971, the major studio ] entered the pink film genre with its higher production values through its ''Roman porno'' (lit. romantic porno) series.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} From the 1960s to the late 1980s, ambiguous censorship laws resulted in hundreds of cases regarding erotica and pornography. At midnight, television stations mostly aired soft-core pornographic movies until their ratings dropped due to the pornographic movies.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} In the early 1960s, several movie studios began producing "]s". With censorship laws prohibiting genitals from being seen but otherwise free to express anything, these movies quickly diversified to cover all genres, including rape and bondage. Throughout the 1960s, the "pink films" were mainly produced by low-budget, independent filmmakers such as ]. In 1971, the major studio ] entered the pink film genre.


Starting in 1971, homosexually-oriented magazines began to appear. The first of these, ''],'' began publication in 1971 and continued publishing until 2004.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Homosexual magazines tend to be tailored to particular segments of the population, such as ''],'' which features younger adult males, ''],'' devoted to chubby men, and ''],'' featuring muscular men. The websites of these magazines also feature videos produced featuring these respective body types.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Starting in 1971, homosexually-oriented magazines began to appear, including '']''. Homosexual magazines tend to feature particular body types, such as '']'' (younger adult males), '']'', (chubby men) and '']'', (muscular men).

The 1976 Japanese love film '']'' by ] was banned from Japan due to its nudity and erotic content. Despite quickly becoming a sensation at film festivals in New York and Cannes, in October 1976 the film was seized by Japanese authorities. While the film was based on a true story well known in Japan, its content, involving the vivid depiction of ], was considered too obscene for public viewing. The producer and script writer for the film were taken to court and charged with obscenity but were found not guilty. Frontal nudity was not permitted to appear on film in Japan until 1986.<ref name="auto"/>


====1980s==== ====1980s====
The proliferation of pornographic videos in the 1980s commonly called AV, short for adult video, eventually greatly diminished the market for pornographic movie theaters. Rental video stores offered pornography at a price far below that of movie theaters.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Because most Japanese families now had at least two television sets and VCRs, more videos were sold. It is rumored, but not supported, that ] became popular over ] format because large numbers of AV were released in VHS format.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2007/gb20070122_279828.htm?campaign_id=rss_topStories |first=Ian|last=Rowley |title=Next-Gen DVD's Porn Struggle|date=22 January 2007|accessdate= 21 January 2008| work = ] |quote=One oft-recalled explanation for the failure of Sony's (SNE) Betamax videocassette format in the 1980s was the Japanese company's ambivalence towards producers of pornographic videos. By contrast, proponents of VHS, Betamax's rival, welcomed adult content with open arms and, the legend goes, caused Betamax's demise.}}</ref> Few AVs were sold in ] format, but VCDs and later DVDs were used to distribute AV.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} The proliferation of pornographic videos in the 1980s commonly called A/V (short for adult video) arose as most Japanese families now had at least two television sets and VCRs. It is rumored, but not substantiated, that the ] format vanquished ] because large numbers of A/V were released in VHS format.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2007/gb20070122_279828.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070504044358/http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jan2007/gb20070122_279828.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 May 2007 |first=Ian|last=Rowley |title=Next-Gen DVD's Porn Struggle|date=22 January 2007| access-date= 21 January 2008| work = ] |quote=One oft-recalled explanation for the failure of Sony's (SNE) Betamax videocassette format in the 1980s was the Japanese company's ambivalence towards producers of pornographic videos. By contrast, proponents of VHS, Betamax's rival, welcomed adult content with open arms and, the legend goes, caused Betamax's demise.}}</ref> Few A/Vs were sold in ] format. Playing games on ]s with no limitation on content except for censorship laws was sometimes viewed as being synonymous with playing ]s, because so few Japanese people saw any reason to play video games on these platforms, as opposed to ]s.


In the late 1980s, the ] market expanded. It is estimated that about half of this market consists of pornography. Copyright problems plague the market, yet the dōjinshi market was a common place for creators to start before making a debut in a professional magazine. ] began in the dōjinshi market.
]s, with no limitation on content except for censorship laws, became a popular way to distribute pornographic games. Early VCDs and DVDs were viewed on computers.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Because so few Japanese people saw any reason to play video games on these platforms, as opposed to ]s, playing games on a computer was sometimes viewed as being synonymous with playing ]s.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}


====1990s====
In the late 1980s, the ] market expanded. It is estimated that about half of this market consists of pornography. Copyright problems plague the market, yet the dōjinshi market was a common place for one to start before making a debut in a professional magazine. ] began in the dōjinshi market. From the mid-1990s, the dōjinshi market also began making and selling pornographic games.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}
According to John Carr, a United Kingdom government adviser on Internet safety policy for children, two-thirds of all ] images on the Internet in the late 1990s may have originated in Japan. Since the law against ] in 1999, the proportion is now believed to be less than 2%. ] believes that many child pornography producers have simply turned to producing anime or films featuring adults dressed as children.<ref>{{cite news
|url=http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20040427zg.html
|title=Does Comic Relief Hurt Kids?
|last=McNicol
|first=Tony
|work=]
|date=27 April 2004 |access-date=18 January 2008 |url-status=dead
|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110907085210/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20040427zg.html
|archive-date=7 September 2011 }}</ref>


===21st century===
In the 1980s, magazines oriented towards a mature male audience began to offer more explicit content.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} This was not immediately a major social issue because magazines oriented towards a mature female audience already existed and their content was in some ways more explicit.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}}
During the COVID-19 lockdowns, global viewership for Japanese pornography rose significantly as more people were forced to stay home. The sale of videos, ]s, and even subtitles rose significantly in sales during this period.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Anne |first=Melissa |date=2022-01-02 |title=Gamers are watching more "JAV" (Japanese porn) during lockdowns since pandemic; study finds - MEGPlay |url=https://megplay.com/gamers-jav/ |access-date=2022-01-26 |language=en-US}}</ref> At the same time, the use of ] has shot up during this period, mainly due to the increase in available content and faster internet speeds.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-10-15 |title=These are some of the most popular virtual reality (VR) porn websites in 2022 - News Asia Today |url=https://newsasiatoday.com/virtual-reality-porn-popular/ |access-date=2022-10-14 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Virtual Reality (VR) Japanese Adult Videos List {{!}} JAV Subtitled |url=https://javsubtitled.com/videos/category/vr-exclusive |access-date=2022-10-14 |website=Virtual Reality (VR) Japanese Adult Videos List {{!}} JAV Subtitled |language=en}}</ref>


With the Japanese pornography industry growing, increasing numbers of women in the country have become victims of sexual exploitation. Many were tricked into believing they were signing up for "modelling contracts", only to be coerced into becoming pornographic actresses.<ref>{{cite news|title='It was like rape': Women in Japan tricked into pornography|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-10/increasing-number-of-japanese-women-forced-into-pornography/8602288|access-date=10 June 2017|work=ABC News|date=10 June 2017|language=en-AU}}</ref> These continued occurrences have led to calls for greater regulation.<ref>{{cite news|title=More Japanese women being forced into porn, report finds|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-08/japanese-women-coerced-into-porn-calls-for-stricter-regulation/7915166|access-date=10 June 2017|work=ABC News|date=8 October 2016|language=en-AU}}</ref>
====1990s====
According to John Carr, a United Kingdom government adviser on Internet safety policy for children, two-thirds of all pedophilic images on the Internet in the late 1990s may have originated in Japan. He further commented: ''"We think that child pornography, in any form, promotes values and sends the message that it is OK to sexually abuse children. It helps pedophiles to justify their ideas or behavior and it desensitizes society as a whole."'' Since the law against child pornography in 1999, the proportion is now believed to be less than 2%. ] believes that many child pornography producers have simply turned to producing anime or films featuring adults dressed as children.<ref>{{cite news
| url = http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20040427zg.html
| title = Does Comic Relief Hurt Kids?
| author = McNicol, Tony
| work = ]
| date = 27 April 2004
| accessdate = 18 January 2008
}}</ref>


In September 2022, one of the largest Japanese adult video distribution websites, ], announced that they would be closing down permanently on 31 January 2023 due to billing issues.<ref>{{Cite web |title=R18.com is going to close down! A comprehensive explanation of how to save your R18.com purchases to your PC? |url=https://keepstreams.com/how-to-download-r18-com-videos |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=keepstreams.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=R18.com is closing down for good |url=https://javfilms.com/post/r18-closing-down-permanently |access-date=2022-11-11 |website=R18.com is closing down for good {{!}} JAV Films Blog |language=en}}</ref> The company's Japanese website, ], will still remain operational, although international payments have been restricted.
==Laws and movements==


In June 2022, the Japanese government passed a bill that aims to protect the rights of actors and actresses coerced into the pornography industry.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-06-15 |title=New Japan law aims to help people pressured into porn |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2022/06/15/national/crime-legal/japan-porn-recruit-protection/ |access-date=2022-08-17 |website=The Japan Times |language=en-US}}</ref> The new set of laws gives people who have agreed to appear in pornographic films the right to terminate their contract at any time prior to and up to one year after the public release of their films without condition. The bill also states that a one-month period must pass between contract-signing and filming, and a four-month period must pass between filming and public release of the film, in order to give actors and actresses time to reconsider their decision. Additionally, the bill highlights a greater need for transparency around the types of sexual acts involved in a film by requiring producers to provide a written explanation of the nature of the content and details of sexual acts involved. Misrepresentation or intimidation to prevent withdrawal of contracts is liable to up to 3 years of imprisonment or 3 million yen for individuals, or 100 million yen for corporations.<ref>{{cite news |title=Japan passes bill to prevent exploitation of young people in porn |url=https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2022/06/3005e659e6ec-japan-passes-bill-to-prevent-exploitation-of-young-people-in-porn.html |access-date=2022-09-07 |work=] |date=2022-06-15}}</ref>

==Considerations==
===Censorship laws=== ===Censorship laws===
{{see also|Censorship in Japan}} {{see also|Censorship in Japan}}
In Japan, under Article 175 of the ] people who sell or distribute obscene materials can be punished by fines or imprisonment. Article 175 was included in the original document in 1907 and remains relatively unchanged.<ref>, translated into English by the ]</ref> Showing ] and adult genitalia was once considered obscene.<ref name=Zanghellini>{{cite doi|10.1177/0964663909103623}}</ref> It is not uncommon for pictorial magazines to depict nude women with their genitalia airbrushed over in black,{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} and video pornography routinely depicts explicit sex scenes with the participants's genitalia obscured by ]. The amount of censorship of the penis can vary, for example, the entire penis may be blurred, or as little as part of the glans.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Until the 1990s, the entire pubic region, including hair, was deemed obscene and unpublishable.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} The publication of ''Waterfruit'' and ''Santa Fe'' by ] marked the first widely distributed publications to feature ].{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} Many video production companies belong to ethical associations which provide guidance on what is acceptable and what is not. The ], the ] and the Contents Soft Association are examples of three such organizations. Recent controversies have frowned upon both pubic hair and even genitalia itself being displayed in works of art and in educational settings.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/20/arts/20arts-SUPREMECOURT_BRF.html |title=Supreme Court in Japan Upholds Mapplethorpe |author=Staff |work=] |date=20 February 2008 |accessdate=11 March 2008}}</ref> Under Article 175 of the ] people who sell or distribute obscene materials can be punished by fines or imprisonment. Article 175 was included in the original document in 1907 and remains relatively unchanged.<ref>, translated into English by the ]</ref> Showing ] and adult genitalia was once considered obscene.<ref name="Zanghellini">{{Cite journal| last1 = Zanghellini | first1 = A.| title = Underage Sex and Romance in Japanese Homoerotic Manga and Anime| journal = Social & Legal Studies| volume = 18| issue = 2| pages = 159–177| year = 2009| doi = 10.1177/0964663909103623| s2cid = 143779263}}</ref>


''{{ill|Maebari|ja|前貼り}}'' (literally 'front patch') is a Japanese slang term used in the pornography industry to mean "hiding the pubic hair".<ref name=Kasschau-Susumu>{{cite book|title=Using Japanese Slang|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pedkCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA241|first1=Anne|last1=Kasschau|first2=Susumu|last2=Eguchi|publisher=Tuttle Publishing|date=2015|isbn=9781462910953|page=241}}</ref> Initially this was done by sticking adhesive tape over the crotch, and the term ''maebari'' was used for this tape.<ref>{{cite book|title=Perversion and Modern Japan: Psychoanalysis, Literature, Culture|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvZ8AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA305|first1=Nina|last1=Cornyetz|first2=J. Keith|last2=Vincent|publisher=Routledge|date=2010|isbn=9781134031542|volume=24|series=Routledge Contemporary Japan|page=298 & 305}}</ref> This technique allowed the film makers to conform with Japanese censorship requirements and avoid the risk of expensive re-shooting.<ref name=Arnold>{{cite thesis|title=Sex Every Afternoon: Pink Film and the Body of Pornographic Cinema in Japan|url=https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/116708/maiku_1.pdf|first=Michael John|last=Arnold|date=2015|publisher=University of Michigan}}</ref> In Japanese ]s these ''maebari'' evolved into self-adhesive bandage-like coverings that were discarded after use.<ref name=Arnold/> They were often skin-coloured<ref>{{cite book|title=Pornographies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wch0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA146|first=Katherine|last=Harrison|publisher=University of Chester|date=2018|isbn=9781908258410|page=146}}</ref> and triangular.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shrieking in the Rain|url=https://www.belmontfilmhouse.com/sites/belmontfilmhouse.com/files/inline-files/Belmont%20Filmhouse%20-%20Programme%20Note%20-%20Shrieking%20in%20the%20Rain.pdf|website=Belmont Filmhouse|first=Jasper|last=Sharp|access-date=24 January 2023}}</ref> Once the removal of pubic hair by shaving became popular, ''maebari'' fell out of use.<ref name=Kasschau-Susumu/>
There is also a thriving genre{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} of underground pornography in Japan (called '']'') {{citation needed|date=May 2012}} that ignores these censorship laws; it has become especially prevalent on the Internet, as there are no mechanisms in place to prevent its transmission from Japanese nationals to the outside world, or vice versa.{{citation needed|date=May 2012}} In 2014 Japanese police discovered an underground pornography store that possessed a machine which was claimed to be able to remove pixelization from the images contained on censored DVDs.<ref>{{cite news|author=Lila Gray|title=Japanese Machine Reportedly De-Pixelates Porn|url=http://www.xbiz.com/news/175578|publisher=X Biz|date=26 February 2014}}</ref>

Video pornography routinely depicts explicit sex scenes with the participants' genitalia obscured by ]. The amount of censorship of the penis can vary. The publication of ''Waterfruit'' and '']'' by ] was likely the first publication that featured ]. Many video production companies belong to ethical associations which provide guidance on what is acceptable and what is not. The ], the ] and the {{ill|Contents Soft Association|ja|コンテンツ・ソフト協同組合}} are three examples of such organizations.


===Religion and pornography=== ===Religion and pornography===
{{see also|Religion in Japan}}
Japan's indigenous religion, ] is based in ], with a belief that supernatural beings dwell in nature. The gods and goddesses of Shinto are not repositories of morality or perfection; instead they exist within nature and thus, sexuality is an innate part of life itself.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s12119-002-1000-4 |ref=harv| last =Perper| first = Timothy | last2 = Cornog | first2 = Martha | year = 2002 | title = Eroticism for the Masses: Japanese Manga Comics and Their Assimilation into the U.S. | journal = ] | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 3–126}}</ref> Therefore, religious attitudes are no obstacle to the presence of pornographic material in Japan's secular society, nor is pornography blasphemous in any way, even when it depicts religious persons (mostly ]) or mythological beings.
Japan's indigenous religion, ] (''Kami-no-Michi''), is based in ], with a belief that supernatural beings dwell in nature. The gods and goddesses of Shinto are not repositories of morality or perfection; instead, they exist within nature and thus, sexuality is an innate part of life itself.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.1007/s12119-002-1000-4 | last1 =Perper| first1 = Timothy | last2 = Cornog | first2 = Martha | year = 2002 | title = Eroticism for the Masses: Japanese Manga Comics and Their Assimilation into the U.S. | journal = ] | volume = 6 | issue = 1 | pages = 3–126| s2cid =143692243}}</ref> Therefore, religious attitudes are no obstacle to the presence of pornographic material in Japan's society.


===Child pornography=== ===Child pornography===
{{Main|Child pornography laws in Japan}} {{Main|Child pornography laws in Japan}}
'''''Possession''''' of ] depicting real children is illegal in Japan since June 2014.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://time.com/2892728/japan-finally-bans-child-pornography/ |title=Japan police crack down on 300 child porn cases |publisher=Time Magazine |date=2014-06-18 |accessdate=2014-06-21}}</ref> '''''Distribution''''' of child pornography was made '']'' illegal in 2003 after international pressure from the ], ] and other international organizations, although the law made a distinction between ] pornography and the softcore pornography that is widely available in Japan, such as at ] and ] media centers like ] and ], and at most ], or Japanese convenience stores.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H11/H11HO052.html |title=児童買春、児童ポルノに係る行為等の処罰及び児童の保護等に関する法律 |publisher=Law.e-gov.go.jp |date= |accessdate=2013-12-10}}</ref> Prosecutions have been made under the new law by Japan's powerful prosecutors under Japan's unique ], resulting in some financial verdicts, with relative strictness of enforcement continuing to vary by ].<ref>{{dead link|date=December 2013}}</ref> Possession of ] depicting real children has been illegal in Japan since June 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/2892728/japan-finally-bans-child-pornography/ |title=Japan police crack down on 300 child pornography cases |magazine=Time |date=18 June 2014 |access-date=21 June 2014}}</ref> Distribution of child pornography was made '']'' illegal in 1999 after international pressure from the ], ] and other international organizations, although the law made a distinction between ] and softcore pornography,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H11/H11HO052.html |script-title=ja:児童買春、児童ポルノに係る行為等の処罰及び児童の保護等に関する法律 |publisher=Law.e-gov.go.jp |access-date=10 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160827202650/http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/H11/H11HO052.html |archive-date=27 August 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> which is widely available in Japan, such as at ] and ] media centers like ] and ], and at most ], or Japanese convenience stores. Prosecutions have been made under the new law by prosecutors under Japan's unique ], resulting in some financial verdicts, with relative strictness of enforcement continuing to vary by ].{{citation needed|date=September 2014}}


In June 2008, a bill that proposed the imposition of a ban on child-pornography possession was submitted to the ] where it was brought before the Diet in September, but failed to pass.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUST35097220080808 |title=Japan police crack down on 300 child porn cases |publisher=Reuters |date=2008-08-08 |accessdate=2013-12-10}}</ref> In June 2008, a bill that proposed the imposition of a ban on child-pornography possession was submitted to the ] where it was brought before the Diet in September, but failed to pass.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUST35097220080808 |title=Japan police crack down on 300 child porn cases |work=Reuters |date=8 August 2008 |access-date=10 December 2013}}</ref> On 15 July 2014 penalties were added to the simple possession of ] as a result of the revision of the law.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASJ9H5FPCJ9HUTIL01Y.html|script-title=ja:児童ポルノ単純所持、摘発37件 罰則適用から1年 |publisher=Asahi shimbun |date=3 October 2016 |access-date=22 July 2017}}</ref>


=== Sexual assault === === Sexual assault ===
] and Ayako Uchiyama postulate that the rise of pornographic material in Japan from the 1970s onwards creates a decrease in reported violence.<ref name="Diamond and Uchiyama">{{cite journal |url=http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/online_artcls/pornography/prngrphy_rape_jp.html |title=Pornography, Rape and Sex Crimes in Japan |author=]; Uchiyama, Ayako |journal= ] |volume=22|issue=1|pages=1–22|year=1999|accessdate= 6 January 2008|doi=10.1016/S0160-2527(98)00035-1|pmid=10086287}}</ref> In 1999, ] and Ayako Uchiyama postulated that the rise of pornographic material in Japan from the 1970s onwards creates a decrease in reported violence.<ref name="Diamond and Uchiyama">{{cite journal|url=http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/online_artcls/pornography/prngrphy_rape_jp.html |title=Pornography, Rape and Sex Crimes in Japan |author1=Diamond, Milton |author2=Uchiyama, Ayako |journal=] |volume=22 |issue=1 |pages=1–22 |year=1999 |access-date=6 January 2008 |doi=10.1016/S0160-2527(98)00035-1 |pmid=10086287 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070216205025/http://www.hawaii.edu/PCSS/online_artcls/pornography/prngrphy_rape_jp.html |archive-date=16 February 2007 |author1-link=Milton Diamond }}</ref>

Research from the University of Pennsylvania headed by Director of Sexual Trauma and Psychopathology Mary Anne Layden heavily disputes this, reporting findings from their research that Japanese males exposed to pornography are more likely to believe women enjoy rape and sexual abuse, and that women exposed to pornography from a young age are more likely to blame themselves for sexual assaults and thus less likely to report the crimes. The report states that males exposed to pornography have a dramatically higher "acceptance of the rape myth, acceptance of violence against women, adversarial sex beliefs, reported likelihood of committing rape and forced sex acts and sex callousness".<ref name="socialcostsofpornography.com">http://www.socialcostsofpornography.com/Layden_Pornography_and_Violence.pdf</ref> The research concludes that "the use of pornography, even that which does not include sexual violence, changes beliefs about rape and sexual violence".<ref name="socialcostsofpornography.com"/>
In 2016, the ] ''{{ill|Human Rights Now|ja|ヒューマンライツ・ナウ}}'' reported allegations that some women appearing in pornographic films had been forced to do so against their will.<ref>{{cite news|title=Japan's porn industry preys on young women: activists|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/04/national/social-issues/rights-group-japan-needs-law-moves-force-young-women-appear-porn-videos/|newspaper=The Japan Times|date=4 March 2016|access-date=5 March 2016}}</ref> The group called for the introduction of legislation to regulate production companies and for help for any performers who had experienced abuse.<ref>''Citations'':
* {{cite news|title=Women ensnared by ruthless porn producers, group says|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201603040063|newspaper=The Asahi Shimbun|date=4 March 2016|author=Keiko Sato|access-date=5 March 2016|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305102123/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_news/social_affairs/AJ201603040063|archive-date=5 March 2016}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/03/08/national/japanese-porn-actresses-defend-industry-ngos-accusations-abuse/|title=Japanese porn actresses defend industry from NGO's accusations of abuse|author=Kazuaki Nagata|date=8 March 2016|work=The Japan Times|access-date=29 March 2016}}
* {{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-36604001|title=Apology after Japan porn industry coercion claims|date=23 June 2016|publisher=BBC|access-date=23 June 2016}}
* {{cite news|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/02/national/media-national/porn-industry-takes-first-step-toward-recognizing-problem/|title=Porn industry takes first step toward recognizing it has a problem|first=Jake|last=Adelstein|date=2 July 2016|access-date=13 February 2017|newspaper=The Japan Times}}
* {{cite news|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/821929/tricked-into-porn-japanese-actresses-step-out-of-the-shadows|title=Tricked into porn: Japanese actresses step out of the shadows|agency=Agence France-Presse|date=5 October 2016|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|access-date=13 February 2017}}
* {{cite news|author=Justin McCurry|title=Forced into pornography: Japan moves to stop women being coerced into sex films|newspaper=The Guardian|date=15 May 2017|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/may/15/forced-into-porn-japan-moves-to-stop-women-being-coerced-into-sex-films}}</ref>

===Coercion===

In 2016, Japanese pornographic actress Saki Kozai told ] that she was tricked into appearing in pornography. She had signed a deal with an agency believing she would be modelling. At the time of the first shoot, she was asked to take off her clothes and have sex in front of the camera. She was surrounded by 20 men and could not say "no" and had to perform the act in front of camera unwillingly. The agency also convinced her to cut herself off from her family to focus on work. Another woman from the pornography industry said that she was tricked into working in pornography by an agency on the pretense of becoming a singer.<ref name="hindustan-times">{{cite news |title=I could only cry: Japanese actor on how she was tricked into porn industry |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-cinema/i-could-only-cry-japanese-actor-on-how-she-was-tricked-into-porn-industry/story-oo3Iu7SwgDMfyhG0kP4DUI.html |access-date=2022-09-06 |work=] |agency=AFP, Tokyo |date=2016-10-05}}</ref>

In Tokyo, three people were arrested for allegedly forcing a woman to appear in more than 100 pornographic films. Pornography agencies use intimidating tactics when women try to refuse to perform sex acts, such as demanding huge fines, citing vaguely worded contracts, and telling them they will not find a job outside of the pornography industry. Many such women have committed suicide under the high pressure and coercion they face.<ref name="hindustan-times" />

=== Depiction of illegal activity ===
Many Japanese-made pornographic films (JAV), have titles that suggest that they ], or that they show the recording of another ]. However, any and all titles that are circulated with the approval of ], the Japanese film industry's regulatory body, are in full compliance with and do not break any Japanese laws.

A common ploy is to have a part of a title replaced with a character, or to use a phonetically similar ].


== Types ==
===Sub-genres of Japanese porn===
Among the various sub-genres of Japanese pornography are the following:
* ] (short for "Lolita complex") {{nihongo2|ロリコン}}: This genre involves prepubescent and adolescent girls between the aged of 6-12. It is typically animated pornography, as the legal age to be featured in a pornographic film in Japan is 18.
* ] (short for ''"Shoutarou'' Complex"): Similar to Lolicon, this genre involves prepubescent or under-aged boys between the ages 6–12. It is typically animated pornography, as the legal age to be featured in a pornographic film in Japan is 18. {{div col end}}
* ] ("Boy's Love"): Featuring two grown adult men in a homosexual/gay relationship. Target audience are teenage / young adult women. Typically features a feminine 'Uke,' or submissive, and a masculine 'Seme,' or dominative.
* ] ("Men's Love"): A sub-genre of Yaoi. typically features adult, masculine men with varying degrees of muscle, body fat, and body hair, akin to beefcakes, or bears. Unlike Yaoi, Bara is normally made by actual homosexual men, for homosexual men, and tends to focus on the more realistic obstacles and challenges that come with being homosexual in Japan.
* ] ("Girl's Love"): Featuring two grown adult women in a homosexual/lesbian relationship. Targets the male audience, but is much less popular than Yaoi.


===Dōjin and parodies=== ===Dōjin and parodies===
{{Main|Dōjinshi}} {{Main|Dōjinshi}}
''Dōjinshi'' (often transliterated as doujinshi) or literally "fan works" often contain pornographic imitations of popular anime, games and manga normally made by fans, for fans. It is not always pornographic, but has been portrayed to be.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}} ''Dōjinshi'' (often transliterated as doujinshi), or self-published works that are often manga, are frequently (but not always) pornographic, either as original works or as imitations of popular anime, games and manga.


===Anime=== ===Anime===
{{Main|Hentai}} {{Main|Hentai}}
Animated erotica (known in the West as ''],'' but in Japan as "adult anime") is a popular genre in Japan and generally maintains the same style of animation seen in other popular forms of Japanese animation (]). Animated erotica (known in the West as ''hentai'' but in Japan as "adult anime", "ero anime" or "erotic animation") is a popular genre in Japan and generally maintains the same style of animation seen in other popular forms of Japanese animation (]).

Used in everyday conversational Japanese, the default meaning of the term ''hentai'' is "weird" implying "perverted", i.e., implying that ''any'' amount of lewdness is considered "perverted", rather than making a distinction between "normal" and "perverted" erotica.

(Used as a technical term, the word ''hentai'' can also mean "metamorphosis"/"transformation", although this denotation does not inform the meaning of the word as it would be commonly used in conversation.)


===Games=== ===Games===
{{Main|Bishōjo game|Eroge}} {{Main|Bishōjo game|Eroge}}
Adult-oriented games are a genre for video games in Japan. The genre is somewhat unknown outside Japan because of several problems, cultural and translational. Known as "bishōjo games" or "pretty girl games" (alternately spelled "bishoujo") in Japanese, the games are known under several names used by English fans, including PC dating-sim game, ]/], and so on. Companies such as ] and ] are translating ]s and ]s into English for the fledgling market outside of Japan. For adult video games in Japan, the rating of "18+" was coined by the ] or Contents Soft Association. Rating of adult video games has not gone in ]. Adult-oriented games are a genre for video games in Japan. Because of the language barrier and cultural differences, the genre is less popular outside Japan. Known as ''bishōjo games'' or "pretty girl games" (alternately spelled ''bishoujo''), or as ''eroge'' in Japanese, the games are known under several names used by English fans, including PC dating-sim game, ]/H game, and so on. Companies such as ] and ] are translating ]s and ]s into English for the fledgling market outside Japan. For adult video games in Japan, the rating of "18+" was coined by the ] or {{ill|Contents Soft Association|ja|コンテンツ・ソフト協同組合}}. Rating of adult video games has not gone in ].


===The Internet=== ===The Internet===
]s, commonly found in websites, are not limited to fictitious characters and often use real live people as well, though these works would make little sense to those who do not see Japanese TV programs. Dōjinshi writers typically use the Internet to market their products by offering previews of new works, a secret address where buyers can find additional works, and a sample of their games. They also recruit new writers and artists online. Several exclusively adult oriented search engines exist to let someone find a site they are looking for, without having to search through commercial websites that list all keywords. Many works of dōjinshi are featured in websites that collect the art and let people look for free. ], commonly found in websites, is not limited to fictitious characters and often uses real live people as well, though these works would make little sense to those who do not see Japanese TV programs. Dōjinshi writers typically use the Internet to market their products by offering previews of new works, a secret address where buyers can find additional works, and a sample of their games. They also recruit new writers and artists online. Several exclusively adult oriented search engines exist to let someone find a site they are looking for, without having to search through commercial websites that list all keywords. Many works of dōjinshi are featured in websites that collect the art and let people look for free.


Many websites feature seasonal greeting pictures, often pornographic, from linked sites and friends who frequent their sites. A typical Christmas greeting picture on such sites features a santa-girl in various stages of undressing. The twelve zodiac animals of ] offer challenging and entertaining examples of ]s. Many websites feature seasonal greeting pictures, often pornographic, from linked sites and friends who frequent their sites. A typical Christmas greeting picture on such sites features a Santa-girl in various stages of undressing. The twelve zodiac animals of ] allow for variations on ]s.


===Magazines=== ===Magazines===
Magazines are, along with videos, popular media for pornographic materials. Magazines that contains pornographic manga or pictures are controlled, and feature age requirements for purchase. Many localities in Japan require pornographic magazines to be sealed when sold outside of adult bookstores. But it is not uncommon to find non-pornographic magazines that feature nudity. Many magazines, especially ], include nude images and photo spreads similar to ] girls featured in many western tabloids. So long as these images do not depict sexual organs or sex acts, they are not considered pornographic and, hence, are freely sold in public.<ref name='tough questions'>{{cite book | last1 = Itasaka | first1 = Gen | title = 100 Tough Questions for Japan | chapter = Why are pornographic newspapers and magazines read on trains? | editors = Itasaka Gen | work = Bilingual Books Series | publisher = Kodansha International | year = 1996 | location = Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan | pages = 106–107 | accessdate = 2011-03-28 | isbn = 4-7700-2091-0}}</ref> Magazines are, along with videos, popular media for pornographic materials. Magazines that contain pornographic manga or pictures are controlled, and feature age requirements for purchase. Many localities in Japan require pornographic magazines to be sealed when sold outside of adult bookstores, but it is not uncommon to find non-pornographic magazines that feature nudity. Many magazines, especially ], include nude images and photo spreads similar to ] girls featured in many western tabloids. So long as these images do not depict sexual organs or sex acts, they are not considered pornographic and, hence, are freely sold in public.<ref name="tough questions">{{cite book | last1 = Itasaka | first1 = Gen | title = 100 Tough Questions for Japan | chapter = Why are pornographic newspapers and magazines read on trains? |editor1= Itasaka Gen | work = Bilingual Books Series | publisher = Kodansha International | year = 1996 | location = Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan | pages = 106–107 | isbn = 978-4-7700-2091-8}}</ref>

Confessional writings by both men and women are a popular topic in men's and pornographic magazines.


===Movie adaptations===
Confessional writings by both genders are a popular topic in men's and pornographic magazines. Quite often, these writings are fictional stories written by professional authors. Other popular topics in men's and pornographic magazines are erotic manga and novels, reviews of pornographic videos, and reports of sex services.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}
In August 2019, ] released '']'' drama depicting the life of a Japanese adult video producer, ] and one of his first casts, ].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kaoru Kuroki Japanese Adult Videos (JAV) and Full Length Films. Download and Watch Free Trailers online today {{!}} JAV Films|url=https://javfilms.net/videos/cast/kaoru-kuroki|access-date=2021-10-24|website=Kaoru Kuroki Japanese Adult Videos (JAV) and Full Length Films. Download and Watch Free Trailers online today {{!}} JAV Films|language=en}}</ref> The drama received worldwide recognition, with a second season released in 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title='The Naked Director' Season 2 Is A Whirlwind Of Brilliant Highs & Overindulgent Lows|url=https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/the-naked-director-season-2-netflix-review|access-date=2021-10-24|website=Thrillist|date=July 2021 |language=en}}</ref> Today, Toru Muranishi is known as the "Emperor of Porn" and "the dirtiest of the industry's dirty old men" for being one of the pioneers in the industry.


===Manga=== ===Manga===
{{See also|Josei|Seinen|H Manga}} {{See also|Hentai|Josei|Seinen|H Manga}}
] with a pornographic content target both male and female audiences and both male and female ] write pornographic works. ] with pornographic content targets both male and female audiences, and both male and female ]s write pornographic works. Male-oriented pornographic manga is known as ''eromanga.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|last=Nagayama|first=Kaoru|title=Erotic Comics in Japan: An Introduction to Eromanga|date=2020|publisher=Amsterdam University Press|isbn=978-94-6372-712-9|location=Amsterdam|pages=|translator-last=Galbraith|translator-first=Patrick W.|oclc=1160012499|translator-last2=Bauwens-Sugimoto|translator-first2=Jessica}}</ref>'' In Western contexts, this is more commonly referred to as ] manga.


===Video=== ===Video (JAV)===
Due to the large amount of videos produced, JAV films are typically assigned a code by the studio as a unique identifier. JAV codes usually consist of letters which identify the producer or type of content, followed by a sequential number.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}
Pornographic video (called "adult video" or "AV" in Japan or sometimes "Japanese adult video" or "JAV" outside of it) covers wide themes, and is only limited by censorship laws. It is GV for all-male videos.{{citation needed|date=November 2011}}


===Virtual reality (VR)===
Many such videos have titles that may suggest that they use minors or show the recording of an actual crime; but titles that are circulated with the approval of '']'', the Japanese film industry's regulatory body, are in full compliance with, and do not break, any Japanese laws. A common ploy is to have a part of a title replaced with a character, or to use a phonetically similar neologism. For example, a video about "19 years old girls Sex Party!" may be sold with a title like "1X years old Girls Sex Party!". The word {{Nihongo|'''Joshikousei'''|女子高生|}}, lit. "High school girl," cannot be used as it would suggest a girl of 17 years or younger, who cannot legally act in a pornographic video. The homonymic neologism {{Nihongo|'''Joshikousei'''|女子校生|}}, which can mean a "girl student," is used in many titles to promote the product without breaking censorship laws. This fact may be seen in popular places of Japan such as ] or Den Den Town at Tokyo and Osaka respectively.
] has risen in popularity in recent years, largely propelled by the pornography industry. Since the start of 2020, virtual reality use for Japanese adult videos has greatly increased, and this is largely attributed to the ] and the industry maturing.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Stix|first=Gary|title=COVID Expanded the Boundaries of Personal Space&mdash;Maybe for Good|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-expanded-the-boundaries-of-personal-space-maybe-for-good1/|access-date=2021-11-17|website=Scientific American|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Virtual Reality (VR) 日本AV影片和免费预览。立刻在线观看和下载 {{!}} AV短片|url=https://avduanpian.com/videos/category/vr-exclusive|access-date=2021-11-17|website=Virtual Reality (VR) 日本AV影片和免费预览。立刻在线观看和下载 {{!}} AV短片|language=zh}}</ref>


==Subgenres==
Japanese AV also caters to many more fetishes than might be imagined (or thought legal) by non-Japanese. Schoolgirl or uniform themed AV dovetails with the aforementioned "non-consensual" genre&mdash;{{Nihongo|rape|レイプ|reipu|}}&mdash;are common. SM, rope bondage, bestiality, virgins, internal male climax or {{Nihongo|cream-pies|中出し|nakadashi|}}, {{Nihongo|lesbians|レズ|rezu|}}, along with more eccentric fetishes (soap, office ladies, game shows) are all covered.
Among the various subgenres of Japanese pornography are the following:
* ] (short for "Lolita complex") {{nihongo2|ロリコン}}: This genre involves young (or young-looking) girl characters in fiction (anime and manga).
* ] (short for ''"Shoutarou'' Complex"): Similar to lolicon, this genre involves young (or young-looking) boy characters in fiction (anime and manga).
* ] ("Boy's Love"): Featuring two boys or men in a homosexual/gay relationship. Target audience is mainly (but not limited to) young adult women. It typically features a feminine 'uke' or submissive/bottom, and a masculine 'seme' or dominant/top, however this is not always the case as 'uke' is often portrayed as masculine as well.
* ] (sometimes "Bara"): Manga made by and for gay men that are often pornographic. Typically features adult men with varying degrees of muscle, body fat, and body hair, akin to ] or ]s. Geikomi can focus on the more realistic obstacles and challenges that come with being gay in Japan.
* ] ("Girl's Love"): Featuring two grown adult women in a homosexual/lesbian relationship. The target audience are mostly men or lesbians, but it is much less popular than Yaoi.
* Pornography for women: a new subgenre targeting women, portraying "eromen" (erotic men) who cater to women's needs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/03/japanese-women-the-new-demographic-for-porn/|date=3 February 2014|title=Japanese women: The new demographic for porn|publisher=Rocketnews|access-date=18 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170310195727/http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/03/japanese-women-the-new-demographic-for-porn/|archive-date=10 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite video|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNAPBnR1Dw| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140207185721/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrNAPBnR1Dw&feature=autoshare| archive-date=2014-02-07 | url-status=dead|format=Youtube|work=]|date=30 January 2014|access-date=18 February 2017 |script-title=ja:女の子のためのポルノ - JAPORN: Porn That Makes Girls Wet|language=ja, en}}</ref>


==Genres==
==Types of publications==
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
**]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
*]
**]
*]
*]
*]
{{div col end}}


==Companies and people==
===Magazines=== ===Magazines===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*''Actress'' (Riidosha)
*''Action Camera Stinger'' (Wani Shuppan)
*'']'' (GOT Corp.)—big seller *'']'' (GOT Corp.)—big seller
*''Beppin School'' (Eichi Shuppan)
*''Best Video'' (Sanwa Shuppan)
*''Cream'' (Wailea Shuppan)
*''Don't'' (Sun shuppan)
*''Dr. Piccaso'' (Eichi Shuppan)
*''Gokuh'' (Eichi Shuppan)
*''Nessha Booi'' (Tokyo Sanseisha)
*''Nyan Nyan Club'' (Core Magazine)
*'']'' (])—big seller *'']'' (])—big seller
*''The Best Magazine'' (KK Best Sellers)
*''Uoo!'' (Sun Shuppan)
*'']'' (Mirion Shuppan) *'']'' (Mirion Shuppan)
*'']'' (GOT Corp.) *'']'' (GOT Corp.)
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===Publishers=== ===Publishers===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*Akaneshinsha
*Asukii
*]
*Bunkasha
*] *]
*]
*C's Publishing
*]
*Eichi publishing
*France shoin
*Futabasha
*Komeme Elpito
*Futami Shobou
*Issuisya
*John Howard Xtreme Publishing
*Kaimeikan
*Kasakura Publishing
*Kindai Eigasha
*Kousaisyobo
*Myway Publishing
*Oakla Publishing
*Odysseus Publishing
*oks-online
*Saibunkan Shuppan
*Sakuramomo Syobo
*Sanwa Erotica
*Shinchosha
*Shinkosha Publishing
*Shobunkan
*Softmagic
*Studio Pot
*Taiyō Publishing
*Take Shobou
*Terra Publications
*Tokyo Sanseisha
*Tsukasa Shobou
*Wailea Publishing
*] *]
*Wanimagazine *]
*Yaziyo
{{div col end}} {{div col end}}


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*] *]
*] *]
*Bauhaus
*Big Morkal
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*DOC
*] *]
* Dreamroom Productions
*Garomage—nudity-only videos
*Giga
*] *]
*] *]
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*] *]
*] *]
*Indies Media
*] *]
*Kasakura Shuppansha
*] *]
*] *]
*Lahaina Tokai
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*] *]
*]
*Next 11
*Premium
*Prestige
*Reddo Totsugekitai
*] *]
*] *]
*Shai Kikaku
*] *]
*Take Shobou
*] *]
*Uchu Kikaku—major studio associated with Eichi Shuppan publishers
*]—includes V&R Products & V&R International *]—includes V&R Products & V&R International
*] *]
*Yellow Box
{{div col end}} {{div col end}}


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{{div col|colwidth=30em}} {{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*] *]
*]
*]
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==See also== ==See also==
{{portal|Japan|Pornography}} {{Portal|Japan|Erotica and pornography}}
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* {{annotated link|Ecchi}} (エッチ)
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==References== ==References==
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==Further reading== ==Further reading==
* {{cite journal |last=Berry |first=Paul |title=Rethinking ''Shunga'': The Interpretation of Sexual Imagery of the Edo Period |year=2004 |journal=] |volume=54 |publisher=Brepols, for the Asian Society |issn=0066-6637 |pages=7–22 |oclc=486236671 |jstor=20111313}} * {{cite journal |last=Berry |first=Paul |title=Rethinking ''Shunga'': The Interpretation of Sexual Imagery of the Edo Period |year=2004 |journal=] |volume=54 |publisher=Brepols, for the Asian Society |issn=0066-6637 |pages=7–22 |oclc=486236671 |jstor=20111313|doi=10.1484/aaa.2004.0002 }}
*{{Cite book|last=Constantine|first=Peter|author-link = Peter Constantine|title=Japan's Sex Trade: A Journey Through Japan's Erotic Subcultures |location=Tokyo |publisher=]|year=1993| isbn = 4-900737-00-3}} *{{Cite book |last=Constantine|first=Peter |author-link = Peter Constantine |title=Japan's Sex Trade: A Journey Through Japan's Erotic Subcultures|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NgrRAgAAQBAJ |location=Tokyo |publisher=] |year=1993| isbn = 978-4-900737-00-6}}
* {{Cite news |last=Ferrari |first=Paige |title=Meet the Hardest Working Man in Porn |url=http://www.details.com/culture-trends/celebrities/201503/shimiken-japanese-porn-star-interview |work=] |date=March 2015 |access-date=17 April 2015}} The current status of live-action Japanese pornography.
* {{cite journal |last1=Fornander |first1=Kjell |date=July 1992 |title=A Star is Porn |journal=] |volume= |issue=130 |url=http://blog.yahoo.com/_7DZXNXBSVRDUYJVEEWLYTOQMA4/articles/704454 |accessdate=5 August 2012}} An overview of the Japanese pornographic film and video industry.
* {{cite journal |last1=Fornander |first1=Kjell |date=July 1992 |title=A Star is Porn |journal=] |issue=130 |url=http://blog.yahoo.com/_7DZXNXBSVRDUYJVEEWLYTOQMA4/articles/704454 |access-date=5 August 2012}} An overview of the Japanese pornographic film and video industry.
* {{cite web |author=James |url=http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=16 |title=Why is Japanese Porn Censored? |date=January 31, 2006 |publisher=Japan Probe |accessdate=5 August 2012}}
* {{cite web |author=James |url=http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060515002843/http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=16 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 May 2006 |title=Why is Japanese Porn Censored? |date=31 January 2006 |publisher=Japan Probe |access-date=5 August 2012 }}
* {{cite book |last1=Weisser |first1=Thomas |title=Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films |last2=Mihara Weisser |first2=Yuko |year= 1998 |publisher=] |location=Miami |isbn=1-889288-52-7}}
* {{cite book |last1=Weisser |first1=Thomas |title=Japanese Cinema Encyclopedia: The Sex Films |last2=Mihara Weisser |first2=Yuko |year= 1998 |publisher=] |location=Miami |isbn=978-1-889288-52-9}}


==External links== ==External links==
* {{cite web|url=http://eiga9.altervista.org/articulos/obscenity.html|title=Obscenity and Article 175 of the Japanese Penal Code: A Short Introduction to Japanese Censorship|last1=da Silva|first1=Joaquín|date=29 March 2016|publisher=EigaNove}}
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{{Japanese erotic cinema}} {{Japanese erotic cinema}}
{{Asia topic|prefix=Pornography in}} {{Asia topic|prefix=Pornography in|countries_only=yes}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Pornography In Japan}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Pornography In Japan}}
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Latest revision as of 21:04, 18 December 2024

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Adult videos in a Japanese rental shop, 2008
Pornographic magazines on shelves in Japan, 2009
Hentai manga in Japan, 2014

In Japan, pornography has unique characteristics that readily distinguish it from western pornography. Pornographic films are known as "adult videos [ja]" (AV) in Japan, so Japanese adult videos (JAV) refers to the Japanese Adult Video industry. Animated films are referred to as hentai in English, but in Japan the terms "adult anime [ja]" and "erotic animation [ja]" (or ero anime) are used. In addition to pornographic videos and magazines featuring live actors, there are now categories of pornographic manga and anime (i.e., hentai), and pornographic computer games (eroge; for both PC and game consoles).

Reflecting Japan's views on sexuality and culture, Japanese pornography delves into a wide spectrum of heterosexual, homosexual, and transgender sexual acts in addition to unique fetishes and paraphilias. Starting with erotic stories and wood block prints from before the 20th century, Japanese pornography evolved into distinct subcategories. Partly under attempts to circumvent Japanese laws regarding censorship, but also to cater to particular fetishes, actors and producers often feature subject matter that in western pornography had historically been unseen or rarely depicted, and even now is less frequently featured; bukkake (group ejaculation), gokkun (consuming semen), omorashi (needing to urinate), and tentacle erotica are a few uniquely Japanese genres of erotica. Lolicon (young girls), shotacon (young boys), and their contribution to the controversy regarding the regulation of cartoon pornography depicting minors has been a major issue concerning child protection, free speech, and public morality both inside and outside Japan.

The Japanese Penal Code from the early 20th century has provisions against indecent material, so any lawfully produced pornography must censor the genitals of actors and actresses; this type of censorship also extends to the graphics of hentai manga, video games, and anime. Up until the mid-1990s, any depiction of pubic hair was also censored. Anuses are only censored at contact or penetration. Breasts and nipples are not censored. Pixelization is commonly used to follow the censorship guidelines without being too obvious.

History

Before the 20th century

Shunga or pornographic wood-block pictures were printed with all imaginable situations. The actual uses of shunga in the period are still debated, but probably resembled modern uses of pornographic materials, including masturbation and shared viewing with a lover. Several notable woodblock artists to produce this and their creations were Hokusai's The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife, Lesbian and Two Lovers as well as Kitagawa Utamaro's Client Lubricating a Prostitute. One of the most well-known collection of Shunga can be seen in Kunisada's 1850 work A Bedside Guide to the Colours of Love in Spring.

After the Meiji Restoration in the second half of the 19th century, the publication of pornographic materials declined under government pressure.

In the 20th century

In the late Taishō period and early Shōwa period, an artistic movement called Eroguronansensu, literally "erotic-grotesque-nonsense", occurred influenced by decadent works of Europe. Open sexual expressions were permitted in novels and manga but a strict control was applied on photographs and films. After World War II, the law against 'obscenity', Article 175, was the only official censorship law that remained in force. During the Allied occupation of Japan, which lasted until 1952, all forms of sexually explicit material were prohibited in the country. American forces occupying Japan imposed Western ideas of morality and law. The Japanese public slowly came to adopt some of these ideas and practices. Negative views foreign to Japanese culture about pornography were accepted and applied to visual depictions as they were the ones most likely recognized and thereby criticized by Westerners. As a result, once the occupation forces left, the Japanese government kept the ban on sexually explicit material in place until the late 1980s; images or depictions of frontal nudity were banned, as well as pictures of pubic hair or genitals. No sex act could be depicted graphically. Sex work was outlawed in Japan in 1958.

Influenced by magazines such as Playboy, pornographic magazines were printed soon after World War II. Playboy's articles being about American lifestyle, women being mostly non-Asian, interviews being with people largely unknown in Japan, and fashion and sport being American spawned a fashion for a genre known as yōmono (literally "Western things").

In the early 1960s, several movie studios began producing "pink films". With censorship laws prohibiting genitals from being seen but otherwise free to express anything, these movies quickly diversified to cover all genres, including rape and bondage. Throughout the 1960s, the "pink films" were mainly produced by low-budget, independent filmmakers such as Kōji Wakamatsu. In 1971, the major studio Nikkatsu entered the pink film genre.

Starting in 1971, homosexually-oriented magazines began to appear, including Barazoku. Homosexual magazines tend to feature particular body types, such as Badi (younger adult males), Samson, (chubby men) and G-men, (muscular men).

The 1976 Japanese love film In the Realm of the Senses by Nagisa Ōshima was banned from Japan due to its nudity and erotic content. Despite quickly becoming a sensation at film festivals in New York and Cannes, in October 1976 the film was seized by Japanese authorities. While the film was based on a true story well known in Japan, its content, involving the vivid depiction of asphixiophilia, was considered too obscene for public viewing. The producer and script writer for the film were taken to court and charged with obscenity but were found not guilty. Frontal nudity was not permitted to appear on film in Japan until 1986.

1980s

The proliferation of pornographic videos in the 1980s commonly called A/V (short for adult video) arose as most Japanese families now had at least two television sets and VCRs. It is rumored, but not substantiated, that the VHS format vanquished Betamax because large numbers of A/V were released in VHS format. Few A/Vs were sold in laserdisc format. Playing games on personal computers with no limitation on content except for censorship laws was sometimes viewed as being synonymous with playing bishōjo games, because so few Japanese people saw any reason to play video games on these platforms, as opposed to video game consoles.

In the late 1980s, the dōjinshi market expanded. It is estimated that about half of this market consists of pornography. Copyright problems plague the market, yet the dōjinshi market was a common place for creators to start before making a debut in a professional magazine. Yaoi began in the dōjinshi market.

1990s

According to John Carr, a United Kingdom government adviser on Internet safety policy for children, two-thirds of all pedophilic images on the Internet in the late 1990s may have originated in Japan. Since the law against child pornography in 1999, the proportion is now believed to be less than 2%. ECPAT believes that many child pornography producers have simply turned to producing anime or films featuring adults dressed as children.

21st century

During the COVID-19 lockdowns, global viewership for Japanese pornography rose significantly as more people were forced to stay home. The sale of videos, sex toys, and even subtitles rose significantly in sales during this period. At the same time, the use of VR goggles has shot up during this period, mainly due to the increase in available content and faster internet speeds.

With the Japanese pornography industry growing, increasing numbers of women in the country have become victims of sexual exploitation. Many were tricked into believing they were signing up for "modelling contracts", only to be coerced into becoming pornographic actresses. These continued occurrences have led to calls for greater regulation.

In September 2022, one of the largest Japanese adult video distribution websites, R18.com, announced that they would be closing down permanently on 31 January 2023 due to billing issues. The company's Japanese website, DMM.com, will still remain operational, although international payments have been restricted.

In June 2022, the Japanese government passed a bill that aims to protect the rights of actors and actresses coerced into the pornography industry. The new set of laws gives people who have agreed to appear in pornographic films the right to terminate their contract at any time prior to and up to one year after the public release of their films without condition. The bill also states that a one-month period must pass between contract-signing and filming, and a four-month period must pass between filming and public release of the film, in order to give actors and actresses time to reconsider their decision. Additionally, the bill highlights a greater need for transparency around the types of sexual acts involved in a film by requiring producers to provide a written explanation of the nature of the content and details of sexual acts involved. Misrepresentation or intimidation to prevent withdrawal of contracts is liable to up to 3 years of imprisonment or 3 million yen for individuals, or 100 million yen for corporations.

Considerations

Censorship laws

See also: Censorship in Japan

Under Article 175 of the Criminal Code of Japan people who sell or distribute obscene materials can be punished by fines or imprisonment. Article 175 was included in the original document in 1907 and remains relatively unchanged. Showing pubic hair and adult genitalia was once considered obscene.

Maebari [ja] (literally 'front patch') is a Japanese slang term used in the pornography industry to mean "hiding the pubic hair". Initially this was done by sticking adhesive tape over the crotch, and the term maebari was used for this tape. This technique allowed the film makers to conform with Japanese censorship requirements and avoid the risk of expensive re-shooting. In Japanese pink films these maebari evolved into self-adhesive bandage-like coverings that were discarded after use. They were often skin-coloured and triangular. Once the removal of pubic hair by shaving became popular, maebari fell out of use.

Video pornography routinely depicts explicit sex scenes with the participants' genitalia obscured by pixelization. The amount of censorship of the penis can vary. The publication of Waterfruit and Santa Fe by Kishin Shinoyama was likely the first publication that featured pubic hair. Many video production companies belong to ethical associations which provide guidance on what is acceptable and what is not. The Nihon Ethics of Video Association, the Ethics Organization of Computer Software and the Contents Soft Association [ja] are three examples of such organizations.

Religion and pornography

See also: Religion in Japan

Japan's indigenous religion, Shinto (Kami-no-Michi), is based in animism, with a belief that supernatural beings dwell in nature. The gods and goddesses of Shinto are not repositories of morality or perfection; instead, they exist within nature and thus, sexuality is an innate part of life itself. Therefore, religious attitudes are no obstacle to the presence of pornographic material in Japan's society.

Child pornography

Main article: Child pornography laws in Japan

Possession of child pornography depicting real children has been illegal in Japan since June 2014. Distribution of child pornography was made de jure illegal in 1999 after international pressure from the United Nations, UNICEF and other international organizations, although the law made a distinction between hardcore pornography and softcore pornography, which is widely available in Japan, such as at junior idol and lolicon media centers like Akihabara and Nipponbashi, and at most konbini, or Japanese convenience stores. Prosecutions have been made under the new law by prosecutors under Japan's unique legal system, resulting in some financial verdicts, with relative strictness of enforcement continuing to vary by prefecture.

In June 2008, a bill that proposed the imposition of a ban on child-pornography possession was submitted to the House of Representatives of Japan where it was brought before the Diet in September, but failed to pass. On 15 July 2014 penalties were added to the simple possession of child pornography as a result of the revision of the law.

Sexual assault

In 1999, Milton Diamond and Ayako Uchiyama postulated that the rise of pornographic material in Japan from the 1970s onwards creates a decrease in reported violence.

In 2016, the campaign group Human Rights Now [ja] reported allegations that some women appearing in pornographic films had been forced to do so against their will. The group called for the introduction of legislation to regulate production companies and for help for any performers who had experienced abuse.

Coercion

In 2016, Japanese pornographic actress Saki Kozai told AFP, Tokyo that she was tricked into appearing in pornography. She had signed a deal with an agency believing she would be modelling. At the time of the first shoot, she was asked to take off her clothes and have sex in front of the camera. She was surrounded by 20 men and could not say "no" and had to perform the act in front of camera unwillingly. The agency also convinced her to cut herself off from her family to focus on work. Another woman from the pornography industry said that she was tricked into working in pornography by an agency on the pretense of becoming a singer.

In Tokyo, three people were arrested for allegedly forcing a woman to appear in more than 100 pornographic films. Pornography agencies use intimidating tactics when women try to refuse to perform sex acts, such as demanding huge fines, citing vaguely worded contracts, and telling them they will not find a job outside of the pornography industry. Many such women have committed suicide under the high pressure and coercion they face.

Depiction of illegal activity

Many Japanese-made pornographic films (JAV), have titles that suggest that they use minors, or that they show the recording of another actual crime. However, any and all titles that are circulated with the approval of Eirin, the Japanese film industry's regulatory body, are in full compliance with and do not break any Japanese laws.

A common ploy is to have a part of a title replaced with a character, or to use a phonetically similar neologism.

Types

Dōjin and parodies

Main article: Dōjinshi

Dōjinshi (often transliterated as doujinshi), or self-published works that are often manga, are frequently (but not always) pornographic, either as original works or as imitations of popular anime, games and manga.

Anime

Main article: Hentai

Animated erotica (known in the West as hentai but in Japan as "adult anime", "ero anime" or "erotic animation") is a popular genre in Japan and generally maintains the same style of animation seen in other popular forms of Japanese animation (anime).

Used in everyday conversational Japanese, the default meaning of the term hentai is "weird" implying "perverted", i.e., implying that any amount of lewdness is considered "perverted", rather than making a distinction between "normal" and "perverted" erotica.

(Used as a technical term, the word hentai can also mean "metamorphosis"/"transformation", although this denotation does not inform the meaning of the word as it would be commonly used in conversation.)

Games

Main articles: Bishōjo game and Eroge

Adult-oriented games are a genre for video games in Japan. Because of the language barrier and cultural differences, the genre is less popular outside Japan. Known as bishōjo games or "pretty girl games" (alternately spelled bishoujo), or as eroge in Japanese, the games are known under several names used by English fans, including PC dating-sim game, hentai game/H game, and so on. Companies such as JAST USA and MangaGamer are translating dating sims and visual novels into English for the fledgling market outside Japan. For adult video games in Japan, the rating of "18+" was coined by the Ethics Organization of Computer Software or Contents Soft Association [ja]. Rating of adult video games has not gone in Computer Entertainment Rating Organization.

The Internet

Fanfiction, commonly found in websites, is not limited to fictitious characters and often uses real live people as well, though these works would make little sense to those who do not see Japanese TV programs. Dōjinshi writers typically use the Internet to market their products by offering previews of new works, a secret address where buyers can find additional works, and a sample of their games. They also recruit new writers and artists online. Several exclusively adult oriented search engines exist to let someone find a site they are looking for, without having to search through commercial websites that list all keywords. Many works of dōjinshi are featured in websites that collect the art and let people look for free.

Many websites feature seasonal greeting pictures, often pornographic, from linked sites and friends who frequent their sites. A typical Christmas greeting picture on such sites features a Santa-girl in various stages of undressing. The twelve zodiac animals of Chinese astrology allow for variations on catgirls.

Magazines

Magazines are, along with videos, popular media for pornographic materials. Magazines that contain pornographic manga or pictures are controlled, and feature age requirements for purchase. Many localities in Japan require pornographic magazines to be sealed when sold outside of adult bookstores, but it is not uncommon to find non-pornographic magazines that feature nudity. Many magazines, especially weekly tabloids, include nude images and photo spreads similar to Page Three girls featured in many western tabloids. So long as these images do not depict sexual organs or sex acts, they are not considered pornographic and, hence, are freely sold in public.

Confessional writings by both men and women are a popular topic in men's and pornographic magazines.

Movie adaptations

In August 2019, Netflix released The Naked Director drama depicting the life of a Japanese adult video producer, Toru Muranishi and one of his first casts, Kaoru Kuroki. The drama received worldwide recognition, with a second season released in 2021. Today, Toru Muranishi is known as the "Emperor of Porn" and "the dirtiest of the industry's dirty old men" for being one of the pioneers in the industry.

Manga

See also: Hentai, Josei, Seinen, and H Manga

Manga with pornographic content targets both male and female audiences, and both male and female manga artists write pornographic works. Male-oriented pornographic manga is known as eromanga. In Western contexts, this is more commonly referred to as hentai manga.

Video (JAV)

Due to the large amount of videos produced, JAV films are typically assigned a code by the studio as a unique identifier. JAV codes usually consist of letters which identify the producer or type of content, followed by a sequential number.

Virtual reality (VR)

Virtual reality has risen in popularity in recent years, largely propelled by the pornography industry. Since the start of 2020, virtual reality use for Japanese adult videos has greatly increased, and this is largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and the industry maturing.

Subgenres

Among the various subgenres of Japanese pornography are the following:

  • Lolicon (short for "Lolita complex") ロリコン: This genre involves young (or young-looking) girl characters in fiction (anime and manga).
  • Shotacon (short for "Shoutarou Complex"): Similar to lolicon, this genre involves young (or young-looking) boy characters in fiction (anime and manga).
  • Yaoi ("Boy's Love"): Featuring two boys or men in a homosexual/gay relationship. Target audience is mainly (but not limited to) young adult women. It typically features a feminine 'uke' or submissive/bottom, and a masculine 'seme' or dominant/top, however this is not always the case as 'uke' is often portrayed as masculine as well.
  • Geikomi (sometimes "Bara"): Manga made by and for gay men that are often pornographic. Typically features adult men with varying degrees of muscle, body fat, and body hair, akin to beefcake or bears. Geikomi can focus on the more realistic obstacles and challenges that come with being gay in Japan.
  • Yuri ("Girl's Love"): Featuring two grown adult women in a homosexual/lesbian relationship. The target audience are mostly men or lesbians, but it is much less popular than Yaoi.
  • Pornography for women: a new subgenre targeting women, portraying "eromen" (erotic men) who cater to women's needs.

Genres

Companies and people

Magazines

Publishers

Studios

Personalities

See also: Category:Japanese pornographic film actors

See also

Notes

  1. animated depictions of sexual activity

References

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Further reading

External links

Japanese erotic cinema
Films
Adult video (AV)
studios
Pink film studios
Awards
Related articles
Pornography in Asia
Sovereign states
States with
limited recognition
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