©Photo by iStock: kokoroyuki

OK, We Need To Talk About Porn For Women In Japan

No Plumbers Or Pizza Delivery Men Here

The adult entertainment world isn’t just made for a male gaze.

People all over the world have physical needs, and sometimes, the easiest means of taking care of those needs is by watching adult entertainment. Japan is no exception to that, although when it comes to entertainment for Japanese women, things are a little different. Brace yourselves: we are about to dive into the culture of porn for women in Japan.

What does JAV stand for?

JAV simply stands for Japanese adult videos. It is part of Japan’s wider pornography industry. This industry includes online content, books, magazines and various types of clubs. Currently, there are over 50,000 hits for “Japanese” alone on Pornhub. Additionally, there are numerous subtypes within that category.

Mosaic Japan

Ok, We Need To Talk About Porn For Women In Japan© Photo by Netflix
Mosaics are so representative of this genre that a Japanese drama was named after them: “Mosaic Japan”, 2014, available on Netflix

One of the most well-known aspects of JAV is the use of a mosaic filter to cover private parts. Until the mid-nineties, it was illegal to show pubic hair in lawfully produced porn of any type. After that, the law was reinterpreted to require blurring of all private parts during sexual contact—including oral, anal or vaginal intercourse.

The vast majority of AV produced in Japan are for male consumption. However, there’s been a growing trend towards movies for women in recent years.

As well they should. According to past surveys in Anan, 94% of Japanese women aged 18-40 “take time for themselves” from two to three times a week, and “sometimes more if their partner isn’t doing the job” (M, Japanese woman).

What Options Do Women Have?

Ok, We Need To Talk About Porn For Women In Japan© Photo by Anan
Anan issue 2163, the annual sex health guide featuring Tanaka Kei on the cover

Sex sells—though how it’s used varies widely in Japan. On the one hand, men can easily walk into any convenience store or bookstore and find magazines with scantily clad real and anime women gazing back at them while finding the same materials for women can take some work.

The main impetus behind the women’s AV industry stemmed from Anan magazine, which releases an annual sexual health guide. These guides are packed with survey results on sex, love and romance, guides to improving techniques for male and female partners, and a free DVD of clips of recent, popular videos for women.

Of course, these editions fly off the shelves for another reason: their covers feature one of the currently trending Japanese talents in rather risque poses. Often, these photoshoots include a female partner; a 2019 edition even featured a Western female partner.

Other than Anan, anime and manga often heavily feature romance, sometimes including more racy scenes. However, these are subject to the same censorship laws as videos. Male celebrities occasionally strip down to very little for photo books or calendars. These items are usually sold first as fan club exclusives and later in bookstores. According to a friend working in a major book chain, though, they aren’t as popular as they once were.

So, Is There Female-Friendly Porn in Japan?

So, Is There Female-Friendly Porn in Japan?© Photo by iStock: Panupong Piewkleng

When it comes to watchable media, aside from what’s commonly available on sites like Pornhub, there are many companies producing female-friendly AV videos. The most well-known, and arguably the matriarch of this genre, is Silk Labo (NSFW). It’s a website produced by Soft on Demand, an adult video group also known for promoting STD awareness in Japan.

The project staff for all videos on Silk Labo—except for the male lead(s)—are female, according to their website, and their main focus is on sex from and for a woman’s perspective. They have several channels to choose from:

  • Silk: their original series which are like “slice of life” stories
  • Cocoon: softer/less sexual stories
  • Undress: more passionate/intense stories
  • Body Talk: more instructional aspects in their stories
  • Girl’s CH: an external site tie-up to the rest of the Soft on Demand brand. It features more so-called mainstream-style pornography

Another studio that has gained some recognition thanks to its inclusion in the Slutever Docuseries by Vice is La Coviluna (again, NSFW). La Coviluna is a company of all women. It tends to focus on how-to videos rather than story-centric videos. It also uses stand-ins for body parts to explain how to perform certain techniques.

their main focus is on sex from and for a woman’s perspective

Unfortunately, their website doesn’t appear to have been updated in some time. Any content that they are releasing seems to come directly from their YouTube channel (somewhat NSFW), but even their recent video on there is seven years old now.

Women who prefer their content illustrated should check out LC Style (NSFW). It features free erotic comics, videos and sexual health guides by and for women. However, you do need a fair amount of Japanese talent and patience to navigate their site.

How Do People Feel About Women-Centric JAV?

How Do People Feel About Women-Centric JAV?© Photo by iStock: Laurence Dutton

Asking people directly what they think about porn often leads to vague answers—but I did it anyway. I spoke with 10 Japanese people (five men and five women) and five non-Japanese people (both men and women) to gather their views on JAV made for women.

Generally, the Japanese men were either shocked that women watch porn, especially those made specifically for women, or they knew the genre existed but didn’t know what the content was like. Most were also uncomfortable discussing their own viewing habits.

Japanese People’s Perspective on Porn for Women in Japan

After both types looked into it, they both responded with surprise that the content was (at times) as graphic as JAV for men. “It reminded me of love stories where things fade to black—but they didn’t fade to black. It seemed more real” (S, Japanese man).

Others were surprised at how instructional some series were: “I didn’t know I was doing that wrong. It looks so easy in the movies I’m used to watching, but I guess I need to improve my skills” (K, Japanese man).

Japanese women, on the other hand, were far more open about discussing their viewing habits in somewhat more detail. All five women were aware of the aforementioned websites and admitted to checking them out, however, they also admitted that reading love stories/erotica written by and for women was more appealing to them. “I don’t really like the pretty boy type, so the men in movies aren’t doing it for me” (M, Japanese woman).

Some were uncomfortable with the concepts or found the plots “ridiculously over the top and just as harmful as porn for men. Unhealthy expectations of romance—like any guy is going to keep that up for years in a relationship!” (T, Japanese woman).

And From The Outside?

Foreign perspectives on JAV for women were similarly mixed. For men (those that did not identify as having an Asian fetish), they found these movies “a little boring, but also kind of cute? Like you’re seeing what an idealized, actual couple is doing together” (J, American man).

They also found the instructional nature of other videos informative but “they don’t really cover what to do if that’s not working for your girlfriend—like if you watch this and try it, and it doesn’t work, there’s no real plan B given. You just have to wing it and hope for the best?” (M, Canadian man).

Western women agreed with Japanese women that the concepts were more romantic and seemed more cerebral than those for a male audience, but also pointed out two negatives for the genre. “The melodramatic acting… I’m not expecting much from porn but come on” (A, English woman).

The other issue was with the stereotypical reactions of the characters. “If they’re supposed to be a couple that lives together, why are they still being so shy about sex? Shouldn’t they want to tear each other’s clothes off sometimes?” (S, American woman).

Final Thoughts

Overall, however, all 15 people I spoke with regarding female-oriented JAV thought it was a positive step forward in terms of equality and sexuality in Japan, and one further added: “Hopefully this means that in the Japan of the future, men, women and people who identify as other will be able to express their sexuality freely online and off” (T, Japanese man).

If you happen to find yourself looking for something to watch, you might consider female-oriented JAV an option—even if it’s from a purely curious point of view. And if you are looking for more insight into Japan’s bedroom habits, check out our guides on love hotels and Japanese condom brands.

What do you think about porn for women in Japan? Feel free to share your thoughts about it in our comment section.


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