Japan has a worrying number of virgins, government finds

[oldmanwinters]

"Like an anime fan on prom night?"

[Powder]

Originally Posted by Ninjinister

Sex is stupid anyway.

Effin' test tube that s**t if you want to bring up the population.

[ssjup81]

My opinion on this, is that people here don't want to deal with having relationships or the hassles that may come with it. Some people have had a relationship, but had a bad break up, and just don't want to bother trying again.

There are also guys who don't want to make an effort to be in a relationship.

Bottom line, too much drama. Another issue here, that we in the US, for instance, already have dealt with (and still dealing with) is the job thing. You know how you can get a job and stay with that company for life, right? Well, the current generation is having that problem now. Some guys feel intimidated because of this, seemingly. No good job, no woman will want them.

As for women...more are becoming career focused. There's still the issue of pregnancy harassment here in the workplace (being shamed for getting pregnant and not putting your work first....and yes, there are cases of this and one woman in particular took her company to court for causing her to miscarry). Generally, women who do marry and eventually become pregnant, quit their jobs since juggling work and kids is a bit difficult, especially when you can't get any adequate childcare due to kindergarten and nursery school waiting lists. Women who want to focus on careers, put relationships and family on the back burner and that's happening more and more lately. The majority of part time and temp jobs are held by women here, sadly.

So yeah, I think it's a combination of things causing people to abstain...not the manga and anime stuff, although there are some with unrealistic expectations and want their girlfriends or wives to be like AKB members or whatever that nonsense is. Yes, I hate the AKB idol stuff here.

Edit: Just remembered something from about a year ago...



This exhibits some of the problems women have in Japan and, as mentioned, why some are veering away from relationships and stuff.

[thundermaster612]

I swear one way or another this thread is gonna get locked and disintegrated.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Prowler

I remember reading a survey by Durex, the condom company, about how often people had sex in several countries and how many partners men and women in each country reported to have... Japan was pretty much dead last. I cant' remember the exact numbers but Japanese men and women reported having the lowest amount of sex partners throughout their whole lives and apparently Japanese couples had sex less than 100 times per year. It's said that sex disappears quickly after two Japanese people get married and have kids, but I'm not sure if that's a general "rule" or not.

It's probably difficult for the couples to have sex in general when it's customary for the kids to share the room with their parents. Parents sleep with their kids in the room when very young. The walls are also thin, hence why they have "Love Hotels" in this country. I can't help but wonder how people manage to have more than one kid. lol

[Utrommaniac]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

It's probably difficult for the couples to have sex in general when it's customary for the kids to share the room with their parents. Parents sleep with their kids in the room when very young. The walls are also thin, hence why they have "Love Hotels" in this country. I can't help but wonder how people manage to have more than one kid. lol

Interestingly, that's possibly part of why their infant death rate is so low.

And besides, people have been figuring out how to have sex while co-sleeping for centuries. We've just come out of line with it in the past century or so. You don't need a bed to have sex, and they probably take care of it by dropping the kid with a friend or grandparent. My brothers and I slept with my parents as babies. There's a way.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Interestingly, that's possibly part of why their infant death rate is so low.

And besides, people have been figuring out how to have sex while co-sleeping for centuries. We've just come out of line with it in the past century or so. You don't need a bed to have sex, and they probably take care of it by dropping the kid with a friend or grandparent. My brothers and I slept with my parents as babies. There's a way.

I was thinking along the lines of privacy. They don't even have locks on the doors inside of a house, outside of probably the toilet or washroom. Bedroom doors don't generally have them.

[Utrommaniac]

Well, that's why you let someone else watch over the kid for an hour or so. Grandparents, friend, neighbor. Or the TV.

[plastroncafe]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Interestingly, that's possibly part of why their infant death rate is so low.

And besides, people have been figuring out how to have sex while co-sleeping for centuries. We've just come out of line with it in the past century or so. You don't need a bed to have sex, and they probably take care of it by dropping the kid with a friend or grandparent. My brothers and I slept with my parents as babies. There's a way.

Yeah...everyone having their own sleeping space is something that's relatively new, all things considered. People have been having sex with family in the room for as long as there's been humans.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Well, that's why you let someone else watch over the kid for an hour or so. Grandparents, friend, neighbor. Or the TV.

Babysitters aren't much of a thing either here and, like I said, walls are thin. That's why Love Hotels are so prosperous. You know, years ago, Nintendo even tried to have a chain of Love Hotels, iirc. Didn't work out for the company. lol

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Utrommaniac

Interestingly, that's possibly part of why their infant death rate is so low.

And besides, people have been figuring out how to have sex while co-sleeping for centuries. We've just come out of line with it in the past century or so. You don't need a bed to have sex, and they probably take care of it by dropping the kid with a friend or grandparent. My brothers and I slept with my parents as babies. There's a way.

I dont' think their infant death rate is related: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o...mortality_rate

Northern European countries have even lower ones. And since they have low population, it'd be easier for their percentages to go up. So clearly very few babies and litte kids die in Scandinavia.

It's most likely related to good medical technology.

Originally Posted by ssjup81

Babysitters aren't much of a thing either here and, like I said, walls are thin. That's why Love Hotels are so prosperous. You know, years ago, Nintendo even tried to have a chain of Love Hotels, iirc. Didn't work out for the company. lol

I'd never leave a kid of mine with a babysitter.

[Utrommaniac]

In Finland, babies sleep in cardboard boxes that were "starter packs" from hosptials - and near their parents. Ever since that was implemented in the 1930's, their infant mortality rates plummeted and are now extremely low.
Though, medical care would contribute quite a lot.

There's a lot of contributing factors, but at the very least, staying in the same room as the parents is one of them.

But that's not what we're talking about here.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

My opinion on this, is that people here don't want to deal with having relationships or the hassles that may come with it. Some people have had a relationship, but had a bad break up, and just don't want to bother trying again.

There are also guys who don't want to make an effort to be in a relationship.

Bottom line, too much drama. Another issue here, that we in the US, for instance, already have dealt with (and still dealing with) is the job thing. You know how you can get a job and stay with that company for life, right? Well, the current generation is having that problem now. Some guys feel intimidated because of this, seemingly. No good job, no woman will want them.

As for women...more are becoming career focused. There's still the issue of pregnancy harassment here in the workplace (being shamed for getting pregnant and not putting your work first....and yes, there are cases of this and one woman in particular took her company to court for causing her to miscarry). Generally, women who do marry and eventually become pregnant, quit their jobs since juggling work and kids is a bit difficult, especially when you can't get any adequate childcare due to kindergarten and nursery school waiting lists. Women who want to focus on careers, put relationships and family on the back burner and that's happening more and more lately. The majority of part time and temp jobs are held by women here, sadly.

So yeah, I think it's a combination of things causing people to abstain...not the manga and anime stuff, although there are some with unrealistic expectations and want their girlfriends or wives to be like AKB members or whatever that nonsense is. Yes, I hate the AKB idol stuff here.

Edit: Just remembered something from about a year ago...



This exhibits some of the problems women have in Japan and, as mentioned, why some are veering away from relationships and stuff.

Yeah it's basically rapid society changes. As far as I know, South Korea's birthrate went down a lot in the past decade as well.

Rapid industrialisation usually has a big correlation with people marrying and having kids later.

People with overtly high standards are a thing in every country, so I doubt Japan is unique in that regard.

[ssjup81]

Hey, I just thought of something else that may (or may not) be a reason why folks aren't having kids (aside from women wanting to hold out on starting families or lack of money to raise kids)...no painkillers during childbirth. lol I forgot that a lot of hospitals don't offer epidurals. Only some hospitals/birthing areas use it. You must research which ones actually do it.

I do have an old coworker who told me that she made sure she wouldn't get pregnant again so she wouldn't have to go through that excruciating pain again. She said, "I wish we used painkillers, like you do in the US."

[Utrommaniac]

Trouble is they've started to go a little out of control with it here, passing them out like candy to the point that it's part of the reason why many unnecessary c-sections happen - and also probably connecting back to that infant mortality rate that I mentioned earlier. That was a big reason why my brothers and I were born at home, my mother was terrified of getting an unnecessary c-section and losing her autonomy. It's the reason why doctors in many parts of Europe are recommending low-risk pregnancies stay home with a midwife - Britain being the main one I've seen. (Considering they have an entire television program about midwives attending homebirths 75% of the time, that is no surprise).

Of course, there are those that really would benefit from pain-killers, as with the case your co-worker experienced, but there's likely justified concern for patients and doctors to go overboard with it. There are doctors in the US who refuse to see patients with birth plans and intents for drug-free births. Seems like Japan is going in the opposite direction.

I'm starting to look really crunchy

[plastroncafe]

I think a lot of people forget that c-sections are major abdominal surgery, and instead prefer to focus on how it's a much more "efficient" birth option. Efficient in that you know exactly how long everything is going to take, and there are far fewer variables to consider.

From the doctor's point of you, fewer variables means fewer chances for things to go wrong, and fewer risks to one's license.

[Utrommaniac]

Which is why the US has such a massive number of C-sections compared to the rest of the world, with most of them being deemed "unnecessary". And things can still go wrong, such as complications following the operation.

But again, not really the topic of discussion here.

[Coola Yagami]

I always considered it like Japan has such a strong study and work ethic. No time for sex, gotta ace those exams and get into the best college ever. No time for sex, time to work on new technology that will shape the future of the world.

[ssjup81]

Personally, I think most would avoid a C-section if possible. I only know two people who’ve had one. My mother and one of her younger sisters.

Since this is irrelevant I'll use the spoiler tag.

Spoiler:

I don’t remember why my aunt had one (I do remember there being some kind of a complication…I was just 12 at the time and I think my cousin’s size was an issue too), but for my mother, it was understandable. She said that she went to the doctor for a routine check up and the doctor ended up inducing labor on her. Luckily, my aunt (ironically, the one that I just mentioned earlier) was with her. She was a university student at the time. My mother said they tried a normal birth, but she just wasn’t dilating enough for it since the labor was induced. She said it was terrible. It’s not like the labor gradually built up. She said the contraction pain went from 0 to 11 in a matter of moments. Her blood pressure was also dangerously spiking and was worried she’d end up having a stroke. They had to do a C-section. I was ready to come out, but her body wasn’t ready for it. I was born in the early part of the month as opposed to the later part due to the induced labor. Unfortunately, she did become sick after the procedure with a high fever and had to stay in the hospital longer than usual. My mother said she was in the hospital for so long, that the nurses used to use me for the classes to show couples how to bathe babies, change diapers, etc..

Anyway, to my understanding, the reason why epidurals and stuff aren’t done is because it is believed that the bond between the mother and the baby strengthens during the laboring process. It’s supposed to provide a positive image showing that the woman is strong (you're also supposed to remain quiet during the pain). They also view C-sections negatively here, as it symbolizes weakness in the woman, apparently.

Sucks though, that for those that do want to use painkillers or have epidurals, you have to plan in advanced to stay at one of the private, expensive hospitals that provides that service.

Oh and another reason why I think the birth mortality rate is low here is due to the fact that women stay in the hospital for 7 – 10 days. I was so surprised when I was told this from another coworker (his wife had just given birth). He was surprised when I told him how stateside, some go home after like two or three days.

[Prowler]

Tbh, it wouldn't surprise me much if other developed countries also had high adult virgin rates. I mean, not in the 30% area, but there's probably more 20-30 year old virgins out there than people think there are.

People are getting married later and also spend more and more time playing video games and on the internet. That can lead to people isolating themselves. In every forum nowadays you'll see some male users complaining of never being able to get laid and things like that.

It's kinda funny the way we view sex. On one hand it's this "rite of passage" everyone is supposed to do at some point in their lives, but on the other hand it's also this taboo subject you're not supposed to talk about in a very open manner.