Its tempting to think this headline is run of the mill internet click bait but a new survey revealing that a quarter of Japanese men are still virgins by their 30s is actually a very serious problem for the country. It also explains the Japanese obsession with robots.
So many men in Japan are virgins that they have a special name: “yaramiso.” Yet the problem isn’t just virgins, its that people just aren’t having sex. Over 50 percent didn’t report having sex within the last year and 15 percent within five years, according to the Japan Times poll.
While some may find this amusing, its very serious: Japan now has a declining birth rate and a shrinking population.
Its population is also old and getting older. Currently 25 percent of its population is over 65 and this will climb to almost 40 percent by 2055.
At the same time, its population will shrink 25 percent by 2055.
Older people require care and by not having sex and making the associated babies, Japan faces a monumental crisis.
It needs young people to care for the elderly.
So much so that’s waging a two pronged war against the lack of sex: Relationship training for young Japanese and investing heavily in robots.
One program, “Virgin Academia,” helps the “able-bodied” improve their understanding of sex, while teaching relationship skills.
While sexual images are everywhere in Japan most people don’t talk about sex and relationships, owing to deep a cultural history of avoiding the topic.
This shows given “Virgin Academia” is not widely accepted in Japan’s society. Its lectures on how to find a partner, and a three day boot camp featuring intercourse lessons has even been met with online protests and negative press. The backlash was so strong police eventually shut it down.
Which is why academics in Japan are increasingly looking to robots to solve the pending demographic crisis. Japan is the world leader in robots, specifically focusing on service robots that perform tasks like dispense pills, diagnose medical conditions, assist people with walking and providing companionship.
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