According to a recent study, Japanese people, particularly the younger generation, are engaging in sexual activity less frequently. Researchers found that nearly half of Japanese individuals reach the age of 25 without any sexual experience. Furthermore, about 10 percent celebrate their 30th birthday still being virgins.
Even those who have lost their virginity aren’t practicing very often. Several online surveys conducted in the 2020s revealed that around half of adults in Japan aged 20 to 49 had not had sex in the past year.
This trend has intensified over the last few decades, with rates of sexual inexperience and inactivity rising since the beginning of the millennium.
For comparison, in 2002, more than a third of Japanese individuals aged 20-24 reported a lack of sexual experience. Online surveys conducted closer to the 2020s indicated that this figure could rise to 60 percent among men and 51 percent among women in the same “hypersexual” age group.
What do scientists think about this?
The authors of a new study shared their insights on the sexual attitudes and behaviors of Japanese people in The Journal of Sex Research.
The team analyzed 38 previous publications based on 43 surveys regarding sexual trends in Japan from 1974 to 2024 (primarily in a heterosexual context).
One observation made by the researchers was the increasing popularity of paid sex services in the country. In surveys conducted between 2008 and 2024, about 60 percent of men admitted to paying for sex.
The researchers noted that in high-income countries worldwide, young people are having sex less frequently. However, this issue is particularly pronounced in Japan, where “sexual behavior is often described as a mysterious and contradictory mix of permissiveness and cautious expectations.”
The authors proposed several possible explanations for why Japanese people have cooled towards . One reason is that people simply do not desire intimate closeness. According to a 2020 survey, about 30 percent of men and 40 percent of women aged 20 to 39 stated that they do not want to engage in sexual activity.
The authors speculated that unmarried adults in their 20s and 30s may be hesitant to spend time and money on people with whom they do not plan to build a future.
Meanwhile, for modern Japanese women, the idea of marriage may not seem very appealing, given the tradition that places the lion’s share of household responsibilities on them.
Additionally, adult Japanese individuals are not burdened by notions of innocence and sexual moderation as much as, for example, people in the United States or the United Kingdom.
A unique aspect of Japanese culture has become alternative expressions of sexual desire. For instance, romantic or sexual feelings towards fictional characters. A survey conducted in 2017 among Japanese students aged 16-22 showed that 14-17 percent of them have romantic feelings for a video game or anime character.
Researchers also believe that the demanding daily schedule, with its long working hours and exhausting commutes, may hinder young people from forming and maintaining sexual relationships. In Japan, 30 percent of men and 15 percent of women work over 50 hours a week.
Dr. Vanessa Apeya, a sexual health consultant at the British clinic network Barts Health NHS Trust, noted in an interview with BBC Science Focus: “The study’s results indicate not so much a decrease in desire, but rather broader social and economic factors – long working hours, uncertainty about the future, changing gender roles, and a cultural emphasis on stability rather than partnership.”
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