Japanese Society in Cameo: Guys emerging from a hot spring bath

[ This entry was also posted one of my other blogs: Kelly's Second Life and on my Tribe and JustUsBoys blogs.]


Some of these photos of Japanese men emerge from a hot springs (mineral baths) or 'onsen' were highlighted on QueerClick not long ago. I can't resist showing them again. It's just THE Japanese thing to do - and seems to be especially popular with groups of male college friends, intramural sports teams, or company excursions. They usually spend a night or two at the hot spring resort - one of the most famous - as well as accessible to Tokyo - is Hakone (near the Mt. Fuji Lakes area). Invariably, they have a nice meal - (that's a whole other story) and gulped down lots of beer, sake, and even whiskey or strong imported Chinese liquor.

They're all wearing the traditional 'yukata' - thin, cotton kimono-like coat - with (hopefully) nothing on underneath. When the alcohol, good food and camaraderie take effect, they start dancing sometimes in the buff or provocatively draped, they sing (karaoke) or do stunts (handstands, etc), and then everybody heads down to the communal baths in the resorts - usually downstairs and many
times facing outdoors - a river, wooded stream or even the ocean. Those who can no longer stand - due to the alcohol- might be helped by to their rooms, and fondled or groped or even much more (I only know what I would be doing if my buddy had passed out half naked). Back in the baths, the antics usually escalate - naked men are scrubbing each other's back, and there's the relentless teasing about the size of somebody's dick (often teased that he's too big), and sooner of later somebody passes out from heat exhaustion and too much liquor. A few erections may emerge from under the suds or hidden while squatting in the thigh-deeper hot pools of volcanic mineral waters.

 

All in all.. it's a great time for everyone.

Japanese men are horny a whole lot of the time and - in my opinion - the repressive nature of their society actually only deepens and heightens the sexual tensions for the average company worker. The stress of so many social and work responsibilities is sometimes almost too much to bear: 'fetch this' and 'do this now' is the only thing workers hear all day and half the night since they almost always work overtime for NO (or little) pay.

Without much recourse or with little leeway for arguing back, they submissively accept what they have to do, and go about it quietly (or at least only mutter out of earshot) or complain to their 'real'

friends later. All this comes bubbling to the surface when the drinks and relaxation reach the max at big group parties out in the country. The months of repressed desire also come bubbling to their consciousness - well.. at least it would in mind. Japanese men are generally dissuaded from 'flirting' in public - especially in an office situation. In fact, it use to be true that inter-office affairs and romantic relationships were so frowned upon that a worker risked getting transferred or - in the worse case - fired for dating a co-worker. It really is much less true nowadays because of the changes occurring in the society and in the economy. However, to some extent interoffice romance is discouraged. In that kind of environment, young men (ages 22- 35) before marriage didn't have many avenues for sexual or romantic release -except Japanese anime and pornography, and the nightly jerk-off once they crawled in to bed after midnight when they got home from a couple of 'mandatory' rounds a the local pub with the office gang - that often included their immediate superior (who was bucking for promotion or for leverage to support his pet projects).

 

The trips to the onsen (hot spring resorts) and the pub crawls after working later are rather like R & R for the troops in an army that's on dangerous duty. This was (and still is in some cases) the Civilian Military - (Japan Incorportated) because that was exactly how the typical Japanese factory or company used to operate. The new ones were the recruits -- called upon to have to endure all kinds of hardships (workign 12-16 hour days for example was expected), so these 'trips' were probably a natural way to help relieve a lot of stress.. some of it under the belt line - so to speak.


There is no doubt in my mind that many a young company employee (male or perhaps more so the females) was 'defrocked' while on one of these onsen excursions organized by his (her) company or social group.
The situation has ameliorated to some extent. It is not easy to determine how much though. Japan still has the highest rates of suicide of any industrialized (first world) nation, and the numbers continue to swell. Over 30,000 per year end their lives and by estimates, nearly 4 times as many try to do so.

Japanese has a massive social networking infrastructure long, long before the days of the Internet - or Facebook. I could write a book on this and related topics... but - in reality - much of it is coming to an end. Today's young people do not want to participate to the same degree as before. The number of 'freeters' - young people who refuse to get a full-time job, who often still live at home on their parents' dime, and are content with having little money - but lots of freedom and tons of free time to work part-time at as many as 3 jobs, quit when they get tired of one, go out with friends to sing karaoke or drink or just hang out, and play PS3 games or windowshop all night long.

More to follow (eventually.....)

The above first 3 amateur photos were forwarded in a group message from: atitlan [ymna2] Yahoo group, the last one was sent in my Erik on his [cmnm] google group. Note: Queerclick displays their logo on the photo but they no more own the copyright (c) to that photo that Richard Nixon does!

 

Sex visit to a gay sauna in Tokyo: 24 Kaikan Shinjuku

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Japanese Gay History in Drawing and Painting

First published at:

Below is the image at: niwde.blogspot.com/.../japanese-gay-history.html

on Monday, January 01, 2007

Japanese Gay History

 

"It is believed that the behaviors between a man and a man in Japan before Meiji-era was based on a commitment to spend their lives together, not on their sexual desire. We call the behaviors DANSHOKU or NANSHOKU in Japan, since most of them are not male homosexuality from historical records of the past....

..Male "homosexuality" is supposed that it was from ancient times in Japan. Since introduction of Buddhism into Japan, Buddhist monks have achieved a dominant place in respect of culture and politics. They lived in a steep mountains zone isolated with a society, and developed their original sexual custom by themselves. Also, an aristocrat the governing classes was influenced of a priest of high virtue, and male "homosexuality" progressed from the last stage of Heian period when an appearance of samurai as a guard. In the place isolated from a society like a battlefield, a female is absent and their original society was made by samurai. Since the samurai was seriously influenced of Buddhism or they served for the aristocrats, they inherited priests' custom as it was, and spread the custom further. They love about 10-16,17-year-old boy who were called "TIGO" and "KATTUJIKI or KATSUJIKI". Their hairstyle and clothes seemed to be girls'. ..

...ca 794-1185: Heian period"Heian period" saw the full assimilation of Chinese influences and the flowering of an indigenous aristocratic culture. The development of the Japanese "kana" syllables gave birth to a truly native literary tradition, including some of the finest works of Japanese poetry and prose, such as "The Tale of Genji". Politically, "Heian period" was characterised by the donation of imperial court by regents. "Heian period" witnessed the growing power of provincial warrior bands and the proliferation of private estates, that brought about the disintegration of the old law system "Rituryo". It did not sink deep roots among the people as Buddhism did, though Confucianism was important for Japanese court etiquette and ceremony. The samurai, warrior people, lived by a code of honor known as "Bushido". Many Buddhist monks in a Buddhist monastery practiced "the homosexuality" with "Tigo" who served for the monks because the relationships with female were absolutely prohibited in the Buddhist dogma. There was a rich development of the Tendai and Zen schools. The cute boys " Tigo" served as the important partners for life. The Buddhist priest "Genshin" published "OJOYOSHU" ( Essential of Pure Land Rebirth) in 985, said people got fiery punishment in "homosexuals". As a aristocracy contacted with a Buddhist clergy, "homosexuality" had become popular among them. Ki no Tsurayuki/ (Ki no Tsurayuki) wrote " The Tosa Diary". We find examples of men writing as women. .....

...ca 1185-1333: Kamakura period"Kamakura period" heralded the rise to political power of the provincial warrior class. "Shogunate" was inherited in a series of military government that would rule Japan until the mid-19th century. Other events are "Mongol Invasion", the introduction of " Zen Buddhism", and the emergence of new sects of Buddhism, such as the Pure Land, Nichiren schools. The cute boys were served in court as entertainers and sexual partners.See also "Genpeiseisuiki".....

....The middle stage of Edo period While the peaceful time continued and samurai class feminized, townspeople class gained power. The way of male homosexuality was also feminized and seemingly the motto was emphasized on their enjoyment. With this, "Yaro Kabuki" started by a professional boy. The boy "Wakashu or Wakashudo" was treated as a female not as a male. See also "Akinari Ueda" .. "

You can read more about Japanese Queer History in this site- "Japanese History For Gay Men".
 

  

Posted by niwde at 8:20 PM