Read some interesting articles on the Washington Post today about sexuality (or the lack of it) in modern Japanese society. There are also links to articles about Japanese women's equality compared to other countries (not good!), and about men who are foregoing romantic relationships and the market that has popped up around them.
It's an interesting read made even more interesting when you compare it with Kishimoto's treatment of women in the manga and his apparent attitudes about women being homemakers after marriage (remember Kurenai's father?). Not defending Kishimoto, but maybe there's more going on than just an outdated/sexist opinion.
Anyway, take from it what you will. It's a snapshot of current Japanese society. And in the wake of the Naruto ending, with it's strong emphasis on womens' roles in the home vs fulfilling personal career goals, I thought these articles were really interesting.
• "Japan's sexual apathy is endangering the global economy"
This article talks about men and women who are averse to romantic relationships, marriage, child-rearing and even sex. It's got some great infographics and talks about how these simple personal choices are causing their society to shrink very, very fast. Just check out some of these stats:
• Extremely high numbers of Japanese do not find sex appealing. 45 percent of women and 25 percent of men, ages 16 to 24, are "not interested in or despised sexual contact."
• More than half of Japanese are single. 49 percent of unmarried women and 61 of unmarried men, ages 18 to 34, are not in any kind of romantic relationship.
• In every age group, the percentage of Japanese men and women who are not in a romantic relationship has been increasing steadily since the 1990s.
• About a quarter of Japanese don't want a romantic relationship. 23 percent of women and 27 percent of men say they are not interested in any kind of romantic relationship.
• More than a third of childbearing-age Japanese have never had sex: 39 percent of women and 36 percent of men, ages 18 to 34. That number hasn't actually changed much over the last decade, but it is unusually high.
• The Japanese population institute projects that women in their early 20s have a 25 percent chance of never marrying and a 40 percent chance of never having kids.
• "Japan ranks 101st globally for gender equality"
Measured across 135 countries, Japan placed 101st, alongside Tajikistan and Gambia. Bangladesh ranked 15 points higher. This is remarkable because Japan is a highly educated and wealthy nation, but still has huge gender gaps.
Professional women are stuck in the middle of that contradiction. It's not just that day-care programs are scarce: Women who become pregnant or even just marry are so expected to quit work that they can come under enormous social pressure to do so and often find that career advancement becomes impossible. There's a word for married working women: oniyome, or "devil wives."
• "Japan's young men seek a new path"
This article talks about how Japanese young men are changing values, rejecting the 70-hour work week of their fathers, less likely to spend money on cars or date heavily, but are more likely to spend money on fashion. Called "herbivores" in Japan, they are more like American 'metrosexuals.' 2010 article, but still interesting. Talks about how advertisers don't know how to pitch to them!
