How was sex in feudal Japan?

Japan is well represented by historical and artistic works from the Feudal period, also known as the Shogunate. Many of these works and representations openly displayed sex. In this article, we will talk a little about what ancient sex was like in Japan.

This historical period of the Shogunate is associated with fierce samurais, elegant courtesans, and a constantly present sense of formality in clothing and culture. How did the Japanese view their sexual relationships at the time?

Did Japan have rules about sex?

During the Shogunate periods, samurais often took boys of 12 years old during official apprenticeships. Aristocratic men could have multiple wives and concubines, while women were bound to one husband.

Despite this, did Japan allow the Japanese to have freedom in their relationships? In feudal Japan, intimate life was influenced by social position. Generally, a person’s partner always had a similar social background.

Lower-class teenagers in feudal Japan were free to meet whoever they wanted, but young people from the upper class had to follow strict rules about whom they could see and marry, or even about their intimate relationships.

Homosexuality in feudal Japan

Something that happened in ancient Japan was when Buddhist monks slept with their young male students, who were teenagers. Buddhist monks generally openly engaged in “nanshoku” regardless of age.

Monks also maintained open relationships with women. This 19th-century impression documents the practice of pederasty in medieval monasteries. For those who don’t know, pederasty is the relationship between an older man and a boy.

Feudal Japan had few taboos about homosexuality or bisexuality. In fact, sometimes relationships between men were idealized and celebrated, while relationships with women were considered spiritually draining for men.

In Buddhist temples, homosexual relationships were rampant and generally continued between monks and experienced acolytes they mentored. Homosexuality also occurred openly in the armed forces.

How did Japan’s religions view sex?

The very Shintoists of ancient Japan believed that the land was born from sex. There is a certain writing that says:

My body, formed by being formed, has a place that is formed in excess. Therefore, I would like to take that place in my body that is formed in excess and insert it into that place in your body that is formed insufficiently and thus give birth to the land.

In Buddhism, there was a branch called Tachikawa-ryu known as the main sexual cult of Japan. According to the sect’s beliefs, making love was a gateway to spiritual enlightenment because sexual relations allowed for the loss of the self.

For the Tachikawa-ryu Buddhists, the act was an important part of spiritual and religious life. For them, it was more than just an ideal or symbol; it was “seen as good in itself, beyond its role in procreation.” The Tachikawa-ryu creed also stated that “the loss of the self in the act could lead to the awakening of the spirit.”

The social hierarchy of women

Feudal Japan valued hierarchies and social classifications. This included women who sold themselves for money. Some brothels were specifically for the upper class, but even in sophisticated establishments, there was a social distinction.

There were middle-class workers called “yūjo,” and other high-level certainties known as “oiran,” which is short for “oira no tokoro no nee-san” (“the older sisters of our place”).

The oiran were well-trained artists and had surprisingly high social status. Potential clients used formal language with these courtesans, and in turn, these women wore elaborate clothing.

Life was hard for courtesans

High-level courtesans called oiran, who would later be called geishas, learned to dance, sing, paint, write haiku, write in calligraphy, and how to conduct a proper tea ceremony, a lifestyle highly coveted by women.

Unfortunately, many of these girls were forced to sleep with people for money. They had large debts to their madams due to expensive clothing and makeup. They worked long hours and had exhausting training.

The notion and fate of a prostitute living in servitude due to debts to madams and yakuza permeated Japanese society and became a narrative in films to this day. This brought a distorted Western view that geishas are prostitutes and not artists.

The original intent of geishas was merely to entertain visitors, even appealing to the sensual side. Nowadays, bars called snacks offer exactly a similar service, with women making men drink and fall in love, without resorting to prostitution.

This was a little about what sex was like in Feudal Japan. I hope you enjoyed this short article; if you liked it, share it and leave your comments.