sex in Japan

The image of Japan to those who have never been there is one of video games, exciting new technology, cars, sushi and crazy game shows. Of course it is very easy to find examples of these in Japan. There are so many models of Hondas and Toyotas that never make it out to the U.S. The technology in cell phones feels like its 5 years ahead of us. But beneath all of these is a darker side of Japan.

Westerners view the Japanese as polite and respectful people. As a Japanese-American, I'm proud of this. However, beneath this is a darker side to Japanese society. One is the presence of sex in society. Just a walk through any town or city will reveal how open the society is about sex. You don't need to go to Tokyo to find a red-light district. Many small cities and towns will have sections devoted to snack bars (hostess clubs) pink salons, soaplands and other types of establishments. (In another post I'll explain what these are) It expected that men visit these establishments in the course of their lives. Of course, some places like hostess bars aren't a place to get a hooker, but merely a place to go and drink where pretty girls sit at your table and provide services like pouring drinks and bringing food. But its these other establishments where things can get a little crazier.

That's why when I saw a story about the spread of STD's in Japan, it didn't surprise me.

http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/waiwai/news/20070706p2g00m0dm013000c.html

There is still a lack of sex education and having many sexual partners seems to be ok. This kind of attitude is going to cause more problems unless society starts to get more serious about the problem. Of course, being a young person in Japan can be fun, but its scary when high school girls are getting pregnant without any thought and just throwing away their babies. So for any of you planning to just go out and have fun, be careful!